Seraph of the End: Shadows of the Earth
by Frosty Ninja
Summary: After waking from his coma, Yuichiro worries for his 'new family' while being haunted by a remnant of his past. Can he protect Shinoa and the others and manage to save Mikaela before it is too late? Or will Mikaela and the vampires take away everything he holds dear once more? Yuichiro x Shinoa OOC Mikaela
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to the story! This is my first attempt at Fanfiction and I do hope that you readers enjoy and help me to better my craft. With that being said welcome to **_Seraph of the End: Shadows of the Earth._** This story begins right at the end of Episode 12 of the anime just so we are clear. ****

Disclaimer: I do not own ** _Seraph of the End_**

"Speech"

" _Thoughts_ "

Chapter One: Sweet Dreams

" _Just one more day_ _and I'm officially out of this place!_ " thought a green-eyed boy in his late teens. He gazed outside the window of his small hospital room into a once great nation that was now nothing more than a bunch of old ruins. The sight before him was sad, but also equally beautiful. He didn't know why, but something about the ruins of Japan called out to him. They had something that he wanted, something he'd thought he lost a long time ago. "Mikaela." The boy said aloud.

"Still thinking about him Yu?" came a feminine voice. Yuichiro turned to face the girl before he replied:

"Oh hey Shinoa. I didn't notice you come in." Yu rubbed the back of his head while Shinoa entered the room and plopped herself down on the couch next to his bed. "And yeah, I have been thinking about him a lot lately. I just can't believe he is still alive but more importantly alive as a vampire." The last of his words seemed to cause him a certain degree of pain. Although she didn't show it, Shinoa was worried about the troubled boy in front of her. Yu moved away from the window and seated himself next to the orchid-haired girl.

"What's this? Oh I know! Little old Yu can't resist sitting next to the cutest girl in the world!" Shinoa teased.

"Please. You? Cute?" he answered.

"You disagree? Oh Yu, you're breaking my heart." She said sarcastically while playfully acting sad.

"You know Shinoa, you are a terrible actor." Yuichiro couldn't help but smile as she pouted.

"Oh whatever. I got you to smile didn't I?" Shinoa pointed out, earning a small laugh out of Yuichiro.

"Yeah. I guess you did. Thank you Shinoa." Yuichiro flashed a genuine smile at the girl sitting next to him. If he were paying closer attention he would have noticed the blush that adorned her cheeks, but fortunately for Shinoa the rest of the squad showed up. Yoichi was the first to speak up:

"Hey guys! Hope you are hungry because we brought food!" the frail looking boy handed Shinoa and Yu a tray with white rice and beans. Kimizuki threw himself unceremoniously on top of Yu's bed, effectively irritating the green-eyed boy.

"I just fixed those sheets. Could you not make more of a mess Kimizuki? Oh wait, that seems to be what you are good at!"

"You're such a damn crybaby. Why don't you just shut your mouth for once?" the orange haired boy said.

"Why don't you make me?" Yu challenged.

"Sounds like fun. I've always wanted to beat the shit out of ya!" he replied as he rose from the bed.

"The only one who's going to get beat here is you four eyes!"

"That's it you little shit!"

"Guys, take it easy. We don't wa-" Yoichi began.

"SHUT IT YOICHI" both boys shouted in unison.

"You're going down!" Yu shouted as he charged forward.

"Bring it on." Kimizuki said with a smirk.

"BOTH OF YOU KNOCK IT OFF!" Mitsuba yelled as she knocked both boys down with a single swing of her axe. In that moment, the loudest room in the hospital became the quietest, at least until Mitsuba yelled at Shinoa. "What the hell were you thinking? Why didn't you stop them!?" Mitsuba placed her hands on her hips and waited impatiently for Shinoa to answer.

"I was enjoying the show." Shinoa simply replied. She smiled to herself knowing she had completely pissed Mitsuba off.

"Why you-" Mitsuba was about to take a slash at the girl that irritated her so much but stopped when she suddenly rose.

"Alright, well I've had my fun. I should get going. I've got important things to take care of. You know being the **_squad leader_** and all." Shinoa made sure to emphasize the 'squad leader' part just to get under Mitsuba's skin. She smiled even more when she saw that it had the desired effect. Mitsuba was about as red as a tomato. "Later guys!" Shinoa called out as she left the room.

"One of these days, Shinoa." Mitsuba muttered as she dispersed her cursed gear. She turned her attention to Yoichi who was desperately trying to wake Yu and Shiho. " _Hmm. I might have overdone it this time. Oh well. At least those two clowns learned their lesson."_ She was about to leave the room when Yoichi called out to her:

"Hey—uh—where are you going? Shouldn't you at least try and wake them up? It's the least you could do after knocking them out you know."

"If you ask me, it's better this way. Much more peaceful wouldn't you agree? Besides, those two will be just fine. Trust me, our two best vampire slayers won't be taken down by a hit like that. ( _even though they were_ ) What do you say we get out of here and leave them be? I wouldn't want to be around those two when they wake up." Mitsuba proposed.

"But we can't just-" Yoichi was interrupted as Mitsuba dragged him away.

"They'll be fine! You worry too much Yoichi." The blonde haired girl pointed out as she brought poor Yoichi along with her.

Kimizuki awoke first. Seeing his rival sprawled on the ground he smiled to himself. _"_ _Guess I win then."_ He was about to leave the room when he decided to lift the unconscious Yu onto his bed. " _Won't do as any good if someone finds you like this."_ Yu's rival left the room quietly but not without ensuring that the 'brother he never wanted' was okay. " _Great. One more day and he'll be on my ass once again. Oh well, at least he can help me get back at Mitsuba. That girl has got another thing coming!"_ Kimizuki smiled as he began to formulate a devious little plan to get back at a certain blondie.

 ** _Hours Later…_**

Yuichiro was in absolute agony. He could feel himself slipping away. The power that ran through his veins was maddening. He fought with all his might, but his body was not his own. He watched in horror as his legs forcefully brought him towards the frightened Shinoa. Knowing full well that whatever possessed him was hell bent on slaughtering anything in its path, he yelled desperately for her to run. As his luck would have it, she couldn't hear him. No one could. All he could do is watch in utter misery as the monster closed in on its prey. He felt the monster raise his sword to cut Shinoa down. "No!" he yelled. The beast inside of him only laughed. Yuichiro was powerless. His possessed body slashed at the downed girl once, earning a sharp cry of pain from her. Yuichiro couldn't stop the tears that fell from his eyes as he watched Shinoa try to crawl away with her wound. " _This can't be happening! What's wrong with me!? Is this what I really am!? A monster!?_ " Yu was brought out of his thoughts once more as the being that possessed him raised his sword once more.

"Yuichiro why? Why would you kill all of us?" Shinoa asked with tears in her eyes. "How could you hurt your family?"

"No—Shinoa—I wouldn't—I never—" Yu struggled to find the words. Even though he knew she couldn't hear him, he wanted nothing more than to correct her at that very moment. To tell her that he would never hurt her or anyone close to him. Suddenly without warning, the monster slashed downward to end the life of Yu's squad leader. "SHINOA NO!" Yu screamed as he awoke from his nightmare. He was covered in sweat and breathing heavily. _"_ _What was that? That was worse than reliving my past."_ He looked around the room and was surprised to find himself in his bed. He was even more surprised to see the sleeping form of Shinoa in a chair with her head resting peacefully on the bed. _"_ _Hmm. Glad I didn't wake her. What's she doing here anyways?"_ Despite his initial shock of seeing the usual emotionless girl, Yuichiro was actually relieved to see her next to him. It made him feel more at ease, not that he would ever tell her that. He shifted nervously when he noticed her stir uncomfortably.

"Yuichiro—" the sleeping girl moved closer to the startled boy, as if she knew his state of discomfort. Somehow her hand ended up in one of his, causing the green-eyed katana wielder to blush furiously.

" _Is she dreaming about me?_ " the thought alone was enough to make him blush even more. (If that were even possible) He looked her over one more time and was caught off guard by the worried expression on her face. Despite her current look, Yuichiro couldn't help noticing just how cute Shinoa actually was. He was about to go back to sleep when Shinoa suddenly woke up. _"_ _Oh crap. I really hope she doesn't notice that I'm holding her hand. I mean technically she's holding my hand but I'd never hear the end of it!"_ It was too late for him to try and pretend to be asleep. She had already seen him sitting up. " _Crap."_ He thought.

"Hey Yu." She said softly. The girl yawned very deeply and stretched her arms out. The sudden loss of Shinoa's hand troubled Yuichiro, but he quickly hid his discomfort. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry."

"No. I woke up on my own. No need to apologize." He quickly answered. She tilted her head slightly at him, like she was amused by his answer. _"_ _Great! She saw that I was holding her hand and now she is going to tease me for the rest of my life!"_ he wept in his head.

"Oh." She giggled. "Well that's good." She smiled and looked outside at the full moon. In the moonlight, the ruins of Japan maintained an eerie sense of beauty. Amid the shadows of humanity's playground arose creatures of unimaginable horror. Yet the moon's glorious light brought out the beauty of the night. Even after the demise of most of the human race, life still surfaced. An ironic, yet beautiful sentiment. "You know, I thought that we had really lost you back there. I have never been so scared in my life. At that very moment I thought it was over. I felt like a complete failure." She said from the windowsill.

"Shinoa, I—"

"I couldn't do anything. I was completely powerless. It's the worst feeling in the world." Shinoa continued. Tears had freely began to fall from the girls face. At the moment, the group leader had become even frailer than Yoichi used to be. Yu almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

"Yeah. I know the feeling." Yu spoke up. "To watch in horror as the people you care for the most are taken away from you."

"Yuichiro, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to remind you of your past. I just—I should go." Shinoa started to walk toward the door when she was stopped by Yuichiro's firm grip on her wrist. She turned to face him to see his hair obscuring his eyes. Clear as day to her, however were the stream of tears that slid down his face. "Yuichiro—"

"But running away from it isn't going to solve anything. You've got to accept that it wasn't your fault and use that experience to get stronger. For the people you love to be safe, that's all you can really do. I lost one family before and I am not about to lose another one. That I promise you Shinoa. So stop beating yourself up. You're a great leader and an even better friend." Yuichiro finally faced her. Emerald green eyes met rose ones. "So don't cry anymore, okay?" Yuichiro's words did a great deal in washing away Shinoa's troubles. She was so happy that she leapt into Yu's arms without thinking and ended up sitting on top of him. The katana wielder couldn't conceal the large blush on his face. Shinoa only giggled before returning to her old sarcastic self.

"I bet you are loving this, eh lover boy? Oh who am I kidding? Who wouldn't love this?" she laughed as she brought her face closer to his. "So now that you've got me where you want me Yu, what now?" she asked seductively.

 _"_ _This is more like the Shinoa I know."_ Yu nervously thought. "Umm?" was his only response. He really had no idea how to respond in his current situation. Usually he'd have a million things to say but this time, Shinoa had really figured out a way to shut him up. The girl laughed and rolled over so that she was lying next to him.

"Well it's your loss. Not many get that chance you just had." She puffed.

"I'm pretty sure no one wants that chance anyway." Yuichiro jokingly remarked. He received a powerful flick to his forehead for his little jab. "Ow! Hey I was only joking! Jeez how do you flick so hard?" a question he soon regretted asking as the girl proceeded to flick him again. "OW!"

"What? You mean like that?" she giggled.

"Yes! Like that. Shouldn't you be in YOUR room anyway?"

"Well I thought I'd check up on you. Make sure that you didn't fall into another coma while no one was watching." Shinoa replied.

"I'm pretty sure that people just don't go into a coma like that Shinoa."

"I don't know Yu. You seem to be a special case. With you it's impossible to know for sure." She shot back.

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Shinoa!"

"Yes?" she answered so sweetly that Yuichiro forgot what it was that he was going to say.

"I'm going to go to bed." He finally settled.

"Oh. Alright then. Well I guess I'll head back to my room then." Shinoa said knowing that her fun was over. She sat up on the bed when Yu spoke up again.

"Hey—it's pretty late for you to be walking around by yourself, you know? If you want, you could—you know—stay here. If you aren't uncomfortable or anything of course." He stammered. Seeing how hard it was for him to get the sentence out, Shinoa decided against tormenting the already embarrassed Yuichiro.

"Okay." Was all that she had to say. Even though she maintained her usual emotion free expression, on the inside she was jumping for joy. Yu sat up and slid off the bed.

"Well you can sleep here and I'll take the couch." He said quickly but, was stopped when he felt Shinoa's small hand wrap around his wrist.

"Nonsense. This bed is big enough for the two of us don't you think?" she said innocently. Yu could tell that she wasn't being sarcastic or seductive in anyway so he nodded his head in agreement. He took his place next to the petite girl and did his best to fight the small blush that was fighting to make itself known. If he would have looked to his right, he would have seen that Shinoa was having a similar issue.

"Well—umm—goodnight." He said uneasily.

"Yeah—goodnight." She responded in the same manner. "Hey Yu?" she called softly.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Next time you want to hold my hand, all you have to do is ask. I know how irresistible I can be." She smirked as she waited for a response.

"Shinoa it was—" he didn't finish his sentence as Shinoa wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest.

"Goodnight Yuichiro and thanks-you know- for the pep talk." She said. The green eyed boy didn't mind allowing the blush to slip through this time and smiled before he too, embraced the small girl in his arms.

"Anytime. Goodnight Shinoa." It wasn't too long before the duo drifted off to sleep, both getting the best sleep either of them have had in a long time.

 ** _Elsewhere…_**

A blonde haired boy in his late teens stood at the edge of a long forgotten building and gazed up towards the moon. " _Why Yuichiro? Why would you let them use you?"_ Mikaela slammed his fist down on the edge of the roof sending countless forms of debris down into the street below.

"Now Mikaela, that is certainly no way to behave." The Seventh Progenitor Ferid Bathory called from the shadows.

"Shut up." Mikaela grunted. Not wanting to deal with Ferid's antics, Mikaela began to leave when he was stopped by the very person he was trying to get away from. "Get out of my way."

"Feisty today aren't we? Hmm, if I had to guess I would say that those greedy little livestock have gone and upset you because of what they've done to your little friend."

"Shut up." Mikaela repeated as he maneuvered around Ferid and into the shadows.

"So what are you going to do when you run into them again? I doubt those greedy humans will part from him so easy you know." Ferid called. Although he couldn't see him, Ferid knew well enough that Mikaela had heard him. After several moments, the Seventh Progenitor received the reply he desired so greatly.

" **I'll kill them all.** "

A/N: And so it begins! I don't know how regularly I am going to update here, I guess it just depends on my schedule. Well you Seraphans I hope you enjoyed! Until next time! Frosty out!


	2. Chapter 2: Back in Action

Disclaimer: I do not own _**Seraph of the End**_

"Speech"

 _"_ _Thoughts"_

Chapter Two: Back in Action

Yuichiro awoke just as the sun was breaking over the horizon. He was surprised to find himself alone as he had recalled having Shinoa in his arms just before he passed out. _"_ _She must've left earlier then."_ The green eyed boy stumbled out of bed and exited the room. He did not get very far before bumping into Guren in the hallway.

"Watch where you are going." His CO remarked.

"I could tell you the same thing." Yuichiro mumbled much to Guren's annoyance. Yuichiro's backtalk earned him a solid 'bonk' on the head and a spiel from Guren about respect. Having learned his lesson the boy rubbed his head and listened quietly.

"Now that that is over with, I brought you something."

"What is it?"

"What else? You're uniform idiot." Guren said as he handed it over. "Kimizuki is currently holding onto your cursed gear."

"Why does he have it?" Yuichiro asked a little annoyed at the thought of Kimizuki holding Asuramaru.

"If you'd have let me finish you would have known that I was just getting to that! Anyway find Kimizuki, retrieve your gear, and then spar with him. We need to make sure that you are in top shape and what better way to do that than by sparing. The vampires aren't going to wait around so we aren't either. Get to it." Guren ordered.

"Yes sir, but where do I look?"

"Last I heard Kimizuki and your squad were practicing in a little field just behind the hospital. It shouldn't be too far from here." Guren then left Yuichiro to do as he ordered and went to handle his own business. _"_ _Good luck kid. You are our only hope."_

 ** _At the field…_**

"Man what's taking that loser so long!? I've got half a mind to go fetch him myself." Kimizuki spouted impatiently. Everyone else was getting their workout but him. He had received strict orders to holdout until Yuichiro arrived.

"Aww what's the matter Kimizuki? Can't wait to see Yuichiro again?" Shinoa teased as she managed to avoid another swipe from Mitsuba's axe.

"Gah! Stand still!" Mitsuba yelled in frustration.

"Psh! As if. If I didn't have to see his ugly mug again it'd be too soon. Besides, why do I have to be the one to spar with him anyway?" Kimizuki complained. Mitsuba decided to speak up after realizing that she was getting nowhere swinging at the ever-elusive Shinoa.

"You know exactly why you do Kimizuki. You two are our team's best close quarter fighters. The whole point is to see if he's back up to strength. If not then we are out of commission as long as he is. So quit your complaining. We are a team after all." The orange-haired member of the Shinoa squad just huffed at the blondie's answer. Truth be told he was still mad at her for knocking him out cold the other day.

"Oh come on don't be like that! I'm sure that Yu will be here any minute now. Just be patient. Oh and Shinoa—" Yoichi paused until he had her attention. "I'm ready for some combat practice. I'm confident at a range, but I need more training in close quarters." The bow user switched to a stance and held his bow at a different angle to better his chances in melee combat.

"Alright then. Let's see what you've got. Mitsuba and I will come at you with full strength. Think you can handle it?" Shinoa asked. When Yoichi nodded his head the two girls charged forward and maneuvered to attack him from the sides. The bow user leapt back just in time to avoid both strikes and fired one arrow towards Mitsuba successfully pushing her back. Seeing a small window, Yoichi engaged Shinoa by swinging his bow at her. Shinoa easily blocked the attack and unleashed a swipe of her own. Luckily Yoichi managed to avoid the full brunt of the attack and escaped with a small scratch on his left shoulder. He was not completely out of the woods yet, as Mitsuba suddenly came with an attack from behind. The bow user was able to bring up his bow in time so that the axe slid off of it and into the floor. Seeing as how Mitsuba was completely wide open, Yoichi landed a decent strike with his bow to her stomach before having to leap away from Shinoa.

"Not bad Yoichi! You managed to land a hit on me. Nice work. You are definitely getting better." Mitsuba complimented as she prepared to attack the boy again.

"Thanks! You guys are doing a good job of keeping me on my toes! I've never had to move so fast in my life!"

"Good work! You managed to avoid us there. Now let's see how you handle this!" Shinoa and Mitsuba charged forward this time in perfect unison. Poor Yoichi wasn't skilled enough to evade the attack and was instantly taken down by the two girls.

"Ouch. I'd hate to be him right now." Kimizuki winced after seeing the beat down that Yoichi just received. Even when they were just using a fraction of their regular power, it was pretty clear that bow boy was going to be out for a while. Shinoa left Mitsuba to take care of Yoichi when she saw Yuichiro approaching their location. "About damn time. I'm going to give him a serious beating for being so late." He retrieved Yu's gear and chucked it like a spear a good twenty feet where it landed in the ground hilt up. Grabbing his own twin swords, he made his way down field and stood ready for his showdown with Yuichiro.

"Hey Kimizuki!" Shinoa called. She waited until he met her gaze to continue. "Remember, he just got out of the hospital. Take it easy."

"Yeah, yeah I hear you. Since when are you so worried about him anyway?" he replied coolly. Shinoa didn't answer him and chose to sit down near Mitsuba and a recovering Yoichi in order to watch the big match.

"So who do you think is going to win?" Mitsuba asked. Yoichi replied first, surprising both girls.

"I think Yuichiro's got this. You can see it in his eyes. He's got more to fight for. At least that's what I think." He said weakly.

"I didn't think you'd be up so soon. We kind of did a number on you back there." Shinoa said sheepishly. Mitsuba nodded her head in agreement before voicing her own opinion.

"Well I think that Kimizuki's got this one. We've had almost a full week of training and Kimizuki has been putting in a lot of work with his cursed gear. Seeing as how Yu has been asleep this whole time, I don't think the odds are in his favor. What do you think Shinoa?"

"Whoever is stronger will win." She said simply. Deep down however, she was cheering for Yuichiro. She didn't know why she suddenly felt this way, being as how she never really cared much for the people in her life. Her own family disowned her and she was never close to anyone to begin with. She figured that it was because only she could relate to Yuichiro in a way that no one else could possibly understand. Her newfound feelings bothered her, but also brought her a great deal of joy. She wanted to talk to him about the night before, but now wasn't the time. " _When the time is right, I'll do it."_ She was brought out of her thoughts when Mitsu suddenly threw a fit.

"What! That's no way to answer! You have to choose one or the other. No ifs, ands, or buts. Yuichiro or Kimizuki?"

"Hmm alright if you say so. That's a tough one. I'd say—" Shinoa never finished her sentence as Kimizuki called out to Yuichiro.

"Ready for an ass kicking? I know we were cut short a little early yesterday." Kimizuki stopped and glared over at Mitsuba who crossed her arms and 'hmphed' at his little jab. "But, that doesn't matter now as no one is going to stop me from wiping the floor with you."

"Is that so? I think you need to clean those glasses of yours four-eyes because the only thing that's going to be on the floor is you." Yuichiro replied smugly. He pulled Asuramaru out from the dirt and felt a sudden surge of power. It felt good to hold his katana again. " _Ready Asuramaru?"_ he asked as he took a fighting stance.

 _"_ _To beat this clown? Let's make this quick."_ The demon replied. The tension coming from the two had the trio observing them on the edge of their seats. Neither opponent seemed to be moving, like they were calculating each other's every move. It seemed like the fight would never begin, until a slight shift of Yuichiro's right foot started it all. Kimizuki lurched forward and the green eyed katana wielder was quickly put on the defensive.

 ** _Meanwhile…_**

"Damn it!" Guren yelled as he slammed his desk sending papers flying everywhere. _"_ _I knew that this was going to happen eventually, but never this soon!"_ he sighed heavily as the memory of his meeting with the Hiragi family came flooding back in.

"And just where do you think you are going Guren **Ichinose**?" Tenri Hiragi said to the departing leader of the Moon Demon Company. The way that he said his last name irritated Guren greatly. He knew however, that now was not the time to make a fuss over it. Seeing as how he couldn't just ignore the head of the Hiragi's, he turned and prepared himself for whatever was about to come his way.

"Bah! Just let him leave already! Low-life scum like him shouldn't be here anyways." Seishiro complained. That would be the only sentence to come from the mohawk haired member of the Hiragi family as Kureto spoke up directly after.

"Shut up you fool." He said to Seishiro. He turned his attention to Guren who was just standing at the door, sporting his usual bored expression. _"_ _I'm going to enjoy wiping that stupid look off of your face."_ He cleared his throat before speaking once more, "Guren I'm sure you know why you can't just waltz out of here this time. Surely you have something to say concerning the events at Shinjuku. More specifically, that young boy you seem to be fond of, what's his name again? Ah yes, Yuichiro! Your personal little Seraph! Care to explain?" Kureto smirked. He knew full well that he finally had Guren right where he wanted him and now he could watch him squirm.

Guren gritted his teeth. He wasn't exactly hiding the fact that Yu had the Seraph gene, but he didn't want the Hiragi's to find out so soon either. With Kureto on his case there really was no way around this one. _"_ _Damn you."_ He thought. Clearly cornered, Guren needed to come up with something and quick before he ended up in even more trouble. "Look Kureto, Yuichiro is a member of the Moon Demon Extermination Unit. Seraph or not, his allegiance lies with the Japanese Imperial Demon Army. I don't see what the big deal is here. He hates vampires just as much as any of you do, so I don't see why I have to stick around and be interrogated for something so pointless. Unless you have something of actual importance to tell me then I'll be on my way." Guren said angrily. He turned to leave but stopped when Kureto spoke up again. _"_ _Does this guy ever shut up!?"_

"Fine. As a matter of fact, we do have something important to tell you. As punishment for keeping something like this hidden from us, you have two options Guren. One, relinquish command of your precious Moon Demon Company—"

"What?" Guren was furious now. Although he didn't show it, it was clear to everyone that Kureto's first option had set something off in the lower branch family member.

"Please let me finish." Kureto smirked. "Or take a small force to Nagoya and exterminate the vampire nobles located there. Be sure to include your squad and that other squad with your Seraph pet. Are we clear, Ichinose?"

"Are you serious!? That's practically suicide! I can't possibly do that to my men!" Guren exclaimed in protest.

"You don't have much of a choice. Resign and I'll make someone else do it, or you do it yourself. Besides, word has it that the vampire army is preparing a full out attack on Tokyo in a month's time. We don't want a massacre on our hands now do we? So a preemptive strike should tip the odds in our favor, don't you think?" Kureto was not about to let up on Guren now that he had him backed into a wall. If everything went as he planned, Guren would be the perfect distraction for him to launch an attack on the location he and his father, Tenri, had previously agreed on.

"Fine. I'll lead the charge on Nagoya. How many soldiers?" Guren asked in defeat. He wanted no part in this, but he had no other choice. _"_ _One day."_ He vowed silently to himself.

"This is going to be a small operation so no more than one hundred soldiers. Not counting your black demon series wielders of course." Tenri Hiragi informed. "Kill the nobles and any vampires you come across and secure that base. You may go now, but before you do, allow me to remind you that next time you withhold any information from the Hiragi family, I will have you killed. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir." Guren mouthed once more in his office. He was so frustrated with himself for allowing them to back him into a corner like that. He should have been more careful but, there was no use crying about it now. The damage was done and all the Moon Demon leader could do now was come up with a suitable strategy to conquer Nagoya. He sat back in his chair and looked over at Mahiru-No-Yo. The sheathed katana sat there in all its beauty, like it was ready to listen to all of his problems. _"_ _It's almost time to put my plans in action. Just this last mission, and then we will all be free from the Hiragi's tyranny. That I promise you, Mahiru."_

 ** _Back at the field…_**

Yuichiro and Kimizuki were clearly exhausted but showed no signs of giving in. Both combatants were standing an equal distance away from one another, slowly catching their breaths. _"_ _I won't lose."_ Yuichiro thought to himself. Seizing an opportunity Yu charged forward and unleashed a flurry of slashes that successfully pushed the twin sword wielder back. Not to be outdone Kimizuki responded with a vicious combo of his own that nearly broke through Yuichiro's defenses. Luckily for Yu, the end of Kimizuki's attack left him wide open for a brutal kick to his side. The orange haired teen leapt away to avoid any more damage.

"Nice one. You aren't so bad after all." Kimizuki said while panting. He really didn't expect the fight to turn out like this. It was like Yuichiro had been training with the group the entire week. They were dead even.

"Thanks. You are pretty good yourself. What do you say you admit that I've got this in the bag and we can call it a day?" Yuichiro said with a smirk.

"As if! What's the matter? Tired all ready?"

"Oh no! I can go all day, believe me. I've had _plenty_ of rest." Yu said sarcastically.

Kimizuki laughed at Yu's reply. "You're an idiot, you know that? You are starting to sound like Shinoa now."

The purple haired girl sneezed from her spot on the sidelines. Yuichiro shook his head before responding, "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"That's because it is!" Kimizuki said as he leapt forward once more and crossed his swords like an X for a powerful attack. Yu barely managed to block it in time before he stumbled back from the sheer power of Kimizuki's strike. Now that he was off balance he was at the mercy of Kimzuki who was being relentless in his attacks.

 _"_ _Damn! I need to get out of here and quick!"_ Yu thought. He continued blocking the incoming slashes as best as he could, waiting for the right moment to make his move. Finally after several moments, a small opening made itself clear as the last of Kimizuki's attacks bounced off Asuramaru. With newfound speed Yu went low with a leg sweep that knocked his opponent to the floor and successfully won the fight after holding the edge of his sword at the base of Kimizuki's neck. "Guess I win." Yuichiro said with a smile as he helped Kimizuki back to his feet.

"See I told you that Yuichiro would win!" Yoichi cheered.

"I have to admit, I didn't expect that. It was like Yuichiro was never in a coma. Kimizuki did put up a good fight though. You have to admit he almost had him there." Mitsuba added. Yoichi simply nodded his head in agreement before standing up alongside the blondie and Shinoa so that they could join Kimizuki and Yuichiro on the field.

"You just got lucky this time punk. It won't happen again." Kimizuki said as he dusted himself off. Although he wouldn't admit it he was both proud and surprised at Yuichiro's strength. He was sure that he had him at the end, but he was shocked when he ended up on the floor instead with the tip of a sword pointed at his neck. _"_ _I need to get stronger."_ He resolved. Just as Yuichiro was about to reply the rest of the Shinoa squad showed up and congratulated him on his win and exit from the hospital. Seeing as how there really wasn't much else to do in terms of training, the team decided to head to the showers to clean up.

On the groups' way there Shinoa was trying to find the right moment to approach Yuichiro, but everyone else was practically swarming him making it difficult to talk with him privately. Kimizuki was going on about a rematch, Yoichi was asking him how he managed to move so quick at the end of the fight, and Mitsuba was trying to hammer in the importance of teamwork. The scene that her team was making before her made Shinoa smile. They were all glad to have him back again. The thought of their little family brought the sarcastic teen a great deal of joy. _"_ _Glad to have you back Yu."_ She said to herself as she and Mitsuba split off into their showering area. It then donned on her that she still hadn't talked to Yuichiro about the other night. She made it her mission to talk to him as soon as they all had exited their shower, but that wouldn't happen because Mitsuba suggested they all go eat together effectively putting her plans on hold. _"_ _Fine. After lunch then._ " she told herself. As luck would have it however, in the middle of her meal she was summoned to Guren's office for a mission briefing. _"_ _Seriously!? Today is not my day!"_ the small girl began to grow frustrated, a fact that Guren quickly became aware of when she first spoke up. "What is it?"

"Am I interrupting something? This is the second time I get to see you upset. Were you going to make the move on Yuichiro?" Guren teased.

"No. I'm just not in the mood. So what did you call me in for?" Shinoa tapped her foot impatiently. Normally she wouldn't behave like this, but she really wanted to go and talk to Yuichiro. Just before she left she had overheard that the group was going to go hangout for a bit and she was somewhat jealous that she was the only one that wouldn't be spending any time with him. For once she wished that Mitsuba had gotten the leadership position instead of her.

"Alright, I can see that. I'll make this quick then. This morning Kureto ordered that the Moon Demon Company launch a small preemptive strike of one hundred men and all of our black demon series wielders on Nagoya. We are to kill the ten Nobles located there as well as any vampires there and secure the base." Guren explained.

"Sounds like a suicide run to me. Just what I'd expect from that monster Kureto. What did you do this time? Walk out again?" Shinoa asked.

"No. They found out about Yuichiro's transformation in Shinjuku and—"

"You're letting them blackmail you!?" At the mention of Yuichiro Shinoa's attitude completely changed. Knowing full well how her brother operated she was more worried about her squad mate now more than ever. It wasn't like Guren to put his teammates on the line and now Yu is unknowingly a piece in her family's stupid power struggle. The whole idea infuriated Shinoa and she let it show with her sudden interruption of Guren and the slamming of her palm on his desk.

"Relax. Yuichiro is safe, okay? Although Kureto may be interested in him, you and your squad are coming along with us on this mission. He can't touch him."

"He better be." She huffed. Guren sighed and rubbed his temples. This whole ordeal was turning out to be a real headache. Up until now he hadn't of even thought of what would happen should they return from the mission. If the Hiragi's took Yu away for their own personal uses then they were surely doomed and now that he was on a short leash Guren was really running out of options. All except for one.

"Shinoa?" when the girl in question finally turned her attention to him ( _albeit very reluctantly_ ), Guren relayed his plan to her. The young girl listened to every detail closely, shocked that the time had already come. As soon as he finished explaining everything to the sergeant, the Moon Demon Company leader sat back in his chair and waited for a response. He was unsure of exactly how long he sat there as he eventually spaced out but, when he received the young girl's answer, he smiled. "Glad we understand each other. Now let's get to work."

A/N: And the second chapter of Shadows of The Earth comes to an end! What's Guren's secret plan? Will Shinoa ever get to talk to Yuichiro? Stay tuned until next time to find out! I didn't think I was going to be updating this soon, but I got a little break from work and I was able to get this bad boy out. As you can see I am going to be following the Nagoya arc (somewhat at least) and then this story is going to take its very own direction! So if any of you would like to leave any comments, reviews, questions, suggestions, or concerns please feel free to PM me or leave a review. So until next time Seraphans! Frosty out!


	3. Chapter 3: Downpour

Disclaimer: **_I do not own Seraph of the End_**

"Speech"

 _"_ _Thoughts"_

Chapter 3: Downpour

Yuichiro sat watch inside of a little apartment building that his squad decided to hold up in. The darkness of the night was periodically brightened by flashes of lightning and the only noises that could be heard were the deafening cracks of thunder and the pitter patter of the falling rain. It was one of the most severe thunderstorms that Japan had seen in a long time and it was also the day of the Nagoya mission. In just one more hour, Yuichiro and his squad would leave their hideout and rendezvous with Guren and the rest of the Moon Demon Company to begin their assault under the cover of the rain. Personally, Yuichiro thought it was odd to be attacking the vampires at night. In his mind they were at a total disadvantage, but he trusted Guren so he decided not to argue with his CO this time. He was just worried about his friends. At that moment he turned to their sleeping forms and smiled. For once everyone looked peaceful, despite the fact that they were going to be risking their very lives soon. _"_ _No matter what happens, I'll protect every single one of you. I swear it."_ Yu promised to himself. His attention was forcibly returned to the window after he felt the very building rattle. Just outside was one of the Four Horsemen of John and it appeared to be chasing after something. Yu readied his sword in case another child was on the run because of the vampire's twisted tactics. Trap or not, he wasn't going to let anyone die on his watch. He waited until he got a better view of what was going on to take action, and he was surprised to see that the Horsemen of John was trying to get ahold of a vampire. To his knowledge, they normally left the bloodsuckers alone unless provoked. Trapped and with nowhere to run the vampire was slaughtered mercilessly by the apocalyptic creature. Seeing that its work was now done, the Four Horsemen of John left the area in search of its next meal. Just behind it however, Yu could have sworn he saw a hooded figure. Since the whole ordeal awoke the entire Shinoa squad, Yuichiro decided that he was just imagining things and informed his squad that they were to be leaving soon. The group then ate quickly and decided it was time for them to meet up with Guren and the others. After gearing up and checking their surroundings, Shinoa squad moved under the cover of the rain.

The whole trip was silent and uneventful. When they arrived Guren briefed them on the situation and their squad's orders. They were to locate and kill Fifteenth Progenitor Lucal Wesker with the help of Narumi's squad and then regroup at the specified destination. Although Yuichiro and Kimizuki were ready to go, Guren informed them that they still had some time before everyone arrives. He ordered them to wait until he gave the signal and left.

"So we have to sit in this pouring rain!? This sucks." Mitsuba complained.

"Hey, it's not so bad. I find it to be kind of refreshing." Yoichi said. The bow and axe user then engaged in their own conversation while Yuichiro and Kimizuki were making bets on who could kill more vampires. Shinoa watched her squad silently before drifting off into her own thoughts. Deep down she was worried. In the week that led up to this mission, Yuichiro and Kimizuki both battled their demons for over 20 hours, Mitsuba was promoted, and she got a chilling note from Kureto requesting an audience with her squad directly after this mission. To top it off, she still hadn't found the chance to talk to Yuichiro about the night they had spent together and at this point she was beginning to wonder if she ever would.

 _"_ _I wonder if he even remembers what happened that night…"_ As if on cue, Yu looked over at Shinoa causing her to look away in embarrassment. _"_ _I didn't say that out loud, did I? No of course I didn't. It was just a coincidence he looked at me. Why am I acting so weird!?"_ she was brought out of her thoughts by the very boy that she was thinking of.

"Shinoa are you okay? You've been acting kind of strange lately." He said bluntly. Further proving his point, the small girl 'eeped' and jumped back.

"You idiot! Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's not polite to sneak up on girls?" she replied. She wasn't expecting Yu to approach her so suddenly, especially when she had been thinking about him. Luckily for her it was dark, so Yu couldn't possibly see the giant blush on her face. "And I'm fine. Why do you ask?" she asked.

"I don't know. I mean ever since we slept together that night you've been acting kind of funny. I didn't make things weird between us did I? I was just worried about you is all." Yuichiro answered.

Shinoa was surprised. One that Yuichiro actually remembered that night and two that he was paying that much attention to her. In the entire week since that night, they had barely said a few words to each other and she had completely avoided him for the most part whenever they were all together. Up until now she hadn't realized she had been doing all of those things and felt bad that she was allowing something so trivial to get in the way of the things that were most important to her. "No you didn't make anything weird. I'm sorry if I made it seem that way. It's just that I wanted to talk to you about something—"

"Shinoa if you wanted to talk, all you had to do was ask. Honest. If that's what is making you act so funny then let's talk now. What's on your mind?" Yuichiro interrupted. Even for an interruption Shinoa saw a different Yuichiro. The normally rude and flame-headed Yu was replaced by a gentler and sweeter person, one that cared deeply for the people around him. She smiled and felt more at ease now then she did before.

"Well you see, um—" Shinoa started to nervously press her fingers together, an act that was completely out of character for her. "—about that night Yu."

"What about it?" he said.

"So you're the teenage brats that I've been paired up with for this mission?" a tall man with a mole under his eye stated.

 _"_ _Damn it!"_ Shinoa thought in frustration.

"What was that?" Yuichiro turned around and faced the man.

"Easy there rookie. Didn't anyone teach you not to disrespect your superiors? Makoto Narumi at your service. It is to my understanding that our squads are to eliminate Lucal Wesker." He said casually. Shinoa put a hand on Yuichiro and nodded for him to calm down. Whatever she was feeling before, she quickly hid as she approached the man.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Shinoa and this is my squad. I look forward to working with you." She said as she extended her hand. Makoto shook the small girl's hand and smiled before speaking up again.

"The same to you. Allow me to introduce the rest of my squad. The one with the glasses is Yayoi, next to her is Rika, the one in the bandanna is Taro, and that last one there is Shusaku."

"Nice to meet all of you. You've already met Yuichiro there, behind him is Kimizuki, and then the two sitting down at the edge over there are Yoichi and Mitsuba." Shinoa finished with the introductions.

"Pleasure to meet all of you. Well Guren sent me over here to retrieve you so that we can finally set out. I'll be acting as the team leader for this mission and Shinoa will be the second-in-command. Also, allow me to inform you that since this has become a night op my squad will be taking point with yours bringing up the rear. Although I'm not so sure about _that_ brat having my back seeing the look he is giving me." He said as he gestured towards Yuichiro.

"You know, keep talking like that and I'll shove this up your—"

"He means to say that he has your back! Nothing is going to get through him! Yeah!" Shinoa said as she covered his mouth. Makoto huffed and began walking away.

"Your lack of discipline will be your downfall. I'll overlook that outburst this time. In any case, when your squad finally has it together meet us at Lucal Wesker's ward. We have reports that he is on the move. Please hurry." He called back.

"Man, that guy really gets on my nerves." Yuichiro said when Shinoa finally removed her hand from his mouth. He then received a big 'bonk' on the head courtesy of Mitsuba.

"You idiot! Were you trying to make us look bad!?" the blonde haired girl shouted.

"Way to go genius." Kimizuki remarked.

"Yeah yeah whatever! Like you guys need me to make you look bad. Don't tell me that you guys didn't think he was annoying either!" Yuichiro defended.

"Just because we _thought_ he was annoying doesn't mean we say it out loud bonehead! Sometimes I wonder if you have a brain." Mitsuba said as she crossed her arms.

"Well at least—"

"That's enough, all of you. This is a pointless argument! Now that we aren't wasting time, let's go meet up with the Narumi squad." Shinoa interrupted Yu. She started off in the direction of the ward and was happy to see that her team was quietly following her but disappointed seeing as how everyone but Yoichi looked like they wanted to kill one another. She turned to face them one last time. "Alright enough with the looks. Aren't we a family? What's the point of being a squad if we can't even talk to each other? Let's quit being mad at each other and instead take out some nasty vampires. The Narumi squad is counting on us. The world is counting on us and I'm counting on you. Can I trust you guys or not?" She asked. Shinoa smiled after her squad cheered in unison. _"_ _We definitely need some work, but we are getting there."_ She said to herself. On that note, the quintet set out to join up with the Narumi squad.

 ** _Guren's Makeshift Office…_**

"This doesn't make any sense! Guren, what's really going on here and why are we attacking at night? It's not like you to put so many lives on the line, especially for a mission as stupid as this one." Sayuri said as she tried to get through to her beloved commander. She'd follow him to hell and back if he asked, but this was completely odd for him. It was like he was trying to get everyone killed and for the sake of his oldest rival. "You've been silent the whole way here. It's obvious that something is bothering you, so what is it? You know that you can trust us Guren. Stop keeping so many things to yourself. It isn't healthy."

Guren knew that there was no use in hiding his plans anymore. The Moon Demon Company leader sat back in his chair and looked at every member of his squad. He smiled in his head. " _These guys have always had my back. I won't keep the truth from them any longer."_ With a sense of newfound purpose Guren said the words that would set his goals in motion, " **It's time.** " He was not however, expecting the reaction that he received especially from the most silent member of the group.

"What?! Now!? With all due respect Guren we aren't nearly ready for that yet! It is much too soon. I don't think tha—" Shigure stopped when Guren slammed his hand on the table.

"Don't you think I know that?!" Guren paused when he saw his team back up. Sighing, he sat down and ran his hand through his hair before finally finding the will to speak again. "I'm sorry guys. I know that I haven't been myself lately and trust me, this isn't the way I had it planned. Kureto has forced my hand and now we have no other choice than to enact my plans now. Believe me when I say that I know full well we aren't ready. So I thought up a different solution, the Moon Demon Company disappears."

"What do you mean, 'disappear'?" Mito asked.

"Since we aren't up to strength yet, why not disappear until we are? This is the reason for this night op. I know that it's risky, but this rain and the cover of night are the two best times to make our escape." Guren explained.

"Then why not just make our escape now? Why risk so many lives for a mission that everyone knows is a suicide run anyway?"

"Because Norito, if we just up and vanished then the Hiragi's would know that something is up. I'm not too fond of constantly trying to avoid their army, so we have to make it believable. We show up here, clear out as much as we can and then vanish. Then it's up the Japanese Imperial Demon Army to decide what happened to us. You said it yourself Norito. It is a suicide run after all, so what are they going to do when there isn't a survivor to be found?"

"But the lives at stake here…" Sayuri said softly.

"I know Sayuri. It's terrible and it's why I feel so horrible about this operation, but there isn't much we can do. If we disappear or not, either way the loss of life on this mission is inevitable. We have Kureto to thank for that. So we just have to make sure that these brave men and women don't die for nothing." Guren stood from his desk and in a rare gesture placed his hand in front of his squad. He motioned for them to put their hands in the pile and waited for them to do so. Once everyone had their hands in, Guren spoke once more. "No matter what happens, I promise that we will bring down the Hiragi's. For all the harm and suffering that they have caused the surviving citizens of Japan. I can't say that the road to bring them down will be an easy one, but as long as I have all of you by my side I have faith that we will put an end to their reign. To bringing down the Hiragi's!" Right after finishing his speech the group threw their hands up and cheered. Each member of the Guren squad eyed each other and silently vowed to see this through to the very end. Happy that everyone he wanted on board with his plans were finally seeing eye to eye, he proposed their next objective. "Now that that is over with, it's time to set things in motion. First order of business is—"

 ** _Lucal's Ward…_**

Yu ripped his katana from the stomach of his fifth kill. The vampire howled in pain as his body turned to ash. The downpour of rain seemed to be working in the group's favor as they had been able to get the jump on most of the bloodsuckers they came across.

"There it is. The cathedral where Lucal is to meet his end." Makoto said as he approached the Shinoa squad. "This time we'll have Yu, Kimizuki, and myself up front and the rest of you following behind. Yoichi I want you to slip into the shadows and wait for the right moment to light the bastard up! My squad knows what to do. Be on your guard. There's no telling what's in there." The squad all nodded their heads in unison and moved into their respective positions. "Yuichiro, take point. We move when you do." Makoto ordered.

Taking a deep breath Yu opened the doors to the cathedral and stepped inside. The inside of the place of holy worship was pitch black save for a few candles lit here and there, as well as the occasional flash of lightning. The pounding of the rain echoed throughout the great chamber in a thunderous roar. Looking around Yu saw absolutely nothing. The rows of pews were all destroyed and scattered about. It looked like a fierce battle had already taken place inside, making the entire squad question if they took too long in reaching their target. Their confusion was lifted when Lucal himself appeared, sitting idly on a dangling cross that looked dangerously close to falling.

"Well I seem to have all the luck today! First a squad of hopeless maggots came barging in, in some pitiful attempt at my life. Too bad my loyal servant Esther put down his life for mine, and I made very quick work of those pesky humans. Now another—hmm let's see—one, two, three, eight, nine of you have come to play!" Lucal leapt from the cross and drew his own sword, allowing it to pierce his hand to drink his blood. The sword gave off an eerie red glow as he stepped into the shadows. "Well if the maggots want to play, then let's play!" Lucal made the first move as he dashed behind Yu in an attempt to cut the young swordsman down. It would have worked if Kimizuki hadn't blocked the attack mid-swing.

"You're mine now bastard!"Kimizuki shouted as he slashed with his other sword. Instead of connecting his attack however, Lucal simply smacked his left sword away and kicked Kimizuki into one of the pews. Makoto stepped forward immediately after Kimizuki was taken down and succeeded in pushing Lucal back a few steps with several well placed attacks. Lucal quickly escaped back into the shadows and planned his next move. He wouldn't have enough time however, as a flash of lightning exposed his position in which Shinoa and Mitsuba quickly closed in on. With nowhere to run, the vampire intercepted Shinoa's scythe attack and took hold of her scythe. A quick flick of his wrist sent Shinoa flying straight into Mitsuba where the two girls crashed into a nearby beam.

 _"_ _These maggots could never hope to touch me!"_ Lucal thought proudly. He charged straight for Makoto who quickly went on the defensive. Yayoi came to her squad leader's aid and saved him from what would have been a death blow. The vampire retreated back to avoid being overwhelmed but leapt right back into Yu.

The green-eyed katana wielder hacked and slashed away, landing a few attacks on the fleeing vampire. Lucal parried one such attack and made the move to finish Yu but was cut short by Kimizuki, who succeeded in slicing off one of the vampire's arms.

"That's twice today Yu! You're getting sloppy." Kimizuki pointed out to his rival.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just kill this freak, okay?" Yuichiro said annoyed.

"Argh, you damned maggots! How dare you strike at me! Do you not know your place? Looks like I'm going to have to show you that you are no longer on the top of the food chain!" Lucal howled. He prepared to charge forward once more but stopped when he saw Kimizuki carrying his left arm.

"Yeah? Well let's see how you fight with one arm bitch!" Kimizuki stabbed the loose appendage and activated his cursed gear, leaving behind a small pile of ashes. Seeing his arm vanish into nothingness sent Lucal into a raging frenzy. The bloodsucker went on the attack, relentlessly slicing away at Kimizuki. The orange haired teen succeeded in blocking his attacks, but he was slowly being pushed into a corner. If he didn't get help soon then he was done for. Another flash of lightning revealed Yuichiro lunging in at Lucal, whom barely managed to get out of the way. Not letting up on their attack Mitsuba followed with a vicious strike from her axe that left a small crater which Lucal narrowly escaped. Shinoa was up next as she slashed away with her scythe catching the vampire's stomach. The blow was not a killing one, but it set up the next step of the unified attack as Yayoi, Rika, Makoto, and Taro all managed to land several cuts in on him but failed to kill the vampire.

"Is that all that you lowly maggots got? That whole synchronized attack and you barely managed to land a couple of scratches? How pathetic! You really are—" Lucal stopped speaking when a chain caught him by the leg and bound him in place. Shusaku appeared from the shadows with a smile.

"It seems my calculations were correct." He said.

 _"_ _I won't go down like this! Not to these maggots. I will kill them all."_ Luscal thought as he cut off his bound leg and leapt up in an attempt to escape his doom. The attempt proved to be pointless as Yuichiro quickly closed the gap and cleaved the vampire into two halves. His upper half flew up into the air completely exposed. Yoichi smiled from his position in the back.

"Now's my cue! Drop dead mother—" the rest of his words were cut off by the sound of the arrow cutting through the air. The shot hit Lucal right in the middle of his chest and pinned him to the dangling cross that he was sitting on earlier. The fifteenth progenitor howled in pain as he was beginning to disintegrate.

"You damned humans! This isn't over! I swe—" the vampire's words were cut short once again as the massive cross finally collapsed with the dying vampire in tow. After the dust settled, the two teams regrouped outside and celebrated their victory. Makoto approached the Shinoa squad and offered an apology. When they all agreed that there was no ill will between them, Makoto remarked that they were 'not so bad after all.' He informed them all that they needed to meet up at the rendezvous and made it a point to get there as quickly as possible. The group nodded their heads in agreement and set out. About halfway to the meetup, Makoto ordered that the group stop and take a quick break. They stopped at a street that was directly beneath a railway. A lone street light was the only thing that separated the group from the darkness of the night.

"Five minutes and then we are off again!" he exclaimed.

Shinoa took this time to approach Yu, who was sitting silently by himself near one of the abandoned buildings. "Hey." She said.

"Oh, hey Shinoa what's up?"

"About that night—I just wanted to know what you thought of it."

"What I thought of it?"

"Yeah." She answered shyly.

"Hmm, I don't know. It was nice I guess."

"Just nice then?" she said somewhat disappointed. _"_ _I'm really just overthinking this whole thing. Now I'm just being weird. Well better—"_ Yuichiro brought the petite girl out of her thoughts once more.

"I got the best sleep of my life thanks to you."

"Yeah, I slept like a rock too. So then you did like sleeping with me?" she said with a sly smile. Yuichiro took note that she was being serious and yet her usual self at the same time. He laughed when she gave him a confused look. "What's so funny?" she asked. Instead of replying right away, Yuichiro decided to tease his teammate this time around.

"Oh nothing, it's just that you looked cute for a second there." He replied casually. He smiled when her expression changed and her pale face was assaulted by several different shades of red.

"W-w-what?" Shinoa barely managed to say.

"Nothing." Yuichiro laughed. "So then, what did you think of that night then?" he switched the subject. He could've kept going but he decided that the purple haired girl had enough for one night. Little did he know that his next question caused her more embarrassment than his initial comment.

"I—um—it was nice." She said.

"Good to know. I never got to thank you, you know for staying by my side while I was in the hospital. It really meant a lot to me. It made me feel like—I belonged somewhere. So thank you Shinoa, for making me a part of this family and for being by my side, even if you are a little weird." The last comment irked Shinoa somewhat but she smiled nonetheless. "Oh, and Shinoa?"

"Yes?"

"You should smile more often, and not like that creepy one you do when you are about to say something dirty or whatever. But like the one that you are using right now. It really suits you." Yuichiro said before running off to join up with the group. Shinoa sweat dropped at the compliment, but deep down she found herself jumping for joy for the second time.

 _"_ _I don't know what it is… but something about him just—"_ she never finished her thought as she ran to join up with everyone else. Once she arrived Makoto seemed like he was looking for something, or somebody for that matter.

"Anyone seen Yayoi? She was here a second ago." He said. All 9 members of the Vampire Extermination Unit called out but received no answer. They searched frantically but still found no sign. After about ten minutes everyone heard a loud 'thump'. Right there, in the middle of the lone light underneath the railway was the bloodied corpse of Yayoi. "Oh my… no… Yayoi…" Makoto began. A dark figure then leapt down from his hiding place on the railway and stood menacingly before the remaining members of the Makoto-Shinoa squads.

"Were you the little shrimps that killed Lucal and Mel?" the hooded figure called. He was such an intimidating presence that none of the members spoke up. They all felt like they were being choked right where they were standing. Although, to Yu and the rest of the Shinoa squad the voice sounded strangely familiar. "Well are you going to answer me or not? I haven't got all—hey wait a minute. I know you. You're the kid that went berserk back in Shinjuku. Seems like the humans don't put a leash on their pets, and you. You are that girl whose blood was so delicious. Ha! Looks like I'm in for a treat. Looks like we get to finish what we started after all! Too bad Chess and Horn aren't here to join in on the fun. Well more for me!" the hooded figure exclaimed.

Makoto turned around to face the Shinoa squad. "You… know him?" the sergeant was still clearly distraught at the loss of Yayoi. Yuichiro was the one that finally decided to speak up.

"Yeah we do. On our way to Shinjuku we ran into him where we were about to fight… but he left before we got the chance. He's extremely powerful. According to Shinoa we were as good as dead."

"Who is he?" Taro asked. This time all of Shinoa squad responded in perfect unison.

"Thirteenth Progenitor Crowley Eusford."

 ** _2 weeks later…_**

"I get that, but 100 soldiers don't just magically disappear!" Kureto shouted from his position in the war room.

"We recovered 18 bodies on sight. Maybe they were captured or something. You did send them on a suicide run after all." Tenri informed his raging son.

"What about Shinya? What happened to him? They are up to something! I can feel it!"

"Quiet you fool! You sent Shinya to investigate their disappearances. Or did you forget that already? As of right now, the entire Moon Demon Company has been declared M.I.A. That is the official report and it is going to stay that way until proven otherwise." Just after Tenri finished speaking, a soldier knocked on the doors outside of the war room. "Come in." Tenri ordered.

"Sir! We've found something! I've come all the way from Nagoya to deliver this to you." The soldier held up the small key-like item and handed it to Kureto.

"What is it Kureto?" Tenri asked.

"If I'm not mistaken… this is Shinoa's cursed gear."

A/N: And there it is! What happened to Shinoa? Did they manage to escape Crowley? Tune in next time to find out! So you Seraphans if any of you would like to leave any comments, suggestions, questions, or concerns please feel free to leave a review or PM me if you'd like. If not, then enjoy the story! Until next time! Frosty out!


	4. Chapter 4: The Edge of Darkness

Disclaimer: I do not own **_Seraph of the End or any of its characters_**

"Speech"

" _Thoughts"_

Chapter 4: The Edge of Darkness

 ** _2 weeks after the Nagoya mission…_**

"Her cursed gear? Hmph. I take it that disgrace must have died in the battlefield then. Good, the Hiragi name could be rid of that mistake forever." Tenri said harshly. The tall eyepatch wearing man prepared to leave the room when Kureto stopped him.

"Wait. Something isn't right. This key-thing. It is cold." He said as he investigated the key. He turned it over a couple of times and studied the small object like it held the secrets of the world. He stopped and spoke up again when he saw his father's confused expression. "It's like whatever demon she had made a contract with has disappeared completely. This is practically useless. Either Shinoa was overtaken by the demon or it was released when she died."

"So? What's the damn problem then? Either way that _thing_ is dead." Tenri replied.

"I guess you have a point. Well this definitely proves that things did in fact go south for the Moon Demon Company, but it doesn't necessarily explain their disappearance. Either way, it would seem that Guren and his pathetic army can no longer be a thorn in our side. We can finally put our plans of world domination in motion. Come father, I have something to show you." Kureto said as he rubbed his hands together.

"What is it that you have to show me?" Tenri asked.

"Something that'll guarantee that the Hiragi's will endure until the end of time."

 ** _2 weeks prior…_**

"Well I don't give a damn whether you know him or not! That son of a bitch just killed my comrade and I'm going to make him pay!" Taro yelled as he charged forward. Yuichiro and Kimizuki moved to stop him, but were too slow. All that anyone could do for him now was watch as he ran straight towards his own death. "You bastard! I'll kill you! Die—ugh!" Crowley moved so fast that no one even saw him draw his sword. Everyone looked on in horror as Taro was impaled and casually tossed aside like a doll.

"Is that all that you humans are capable of? Throwing away your lives needlessly? Why don't you all just drop your weapons and I'll make sure that your deaths will be swift. Come on! It's really hopeless you know. You lowlifes don't stand a—" It was Crowley's turn to be surprised as he barely had enough time to catch Yoichi's arrow. Everyone was in shock. He'd just caught a shot from a black demon series and threw it aside like it was nothing. "Wow! You almost got me there! Now it's my turn!" Crowley said as he vanished into the shadows. Everyone was on high alert and searched for any sign of their dangerous opponent. No one had any luck locating the noble, but he soon made his presence known again when he appeared behind a certain purple haired girl. "You know, your blood was absolutely delicious. I think I'll save you for last." He whispered into her ear. Shinoa swung around frantically behind her but was surprised to find herself swinging at nothing. The group didn't have to wait longer for him to appear once more as he closed in on the still grieving Makoto.

"It's all my fault. I wasn't strong enough… I couldn't save them." He mumbled to himself.

"Makoto! Look out!" Yuichiro called out. His warning came too late however, as the sergeant received a large cut across his chest. If it weren't for Rika's last second intervention the mission leader would have surely been killed. Irritated that he was robbed of a kill, Crowley focused all of his attention on Rika. The poor girl could barely keep up with the Noble's powerful attacks and was relieved when Mitsuba jumped into the fray with an overhead swing of her axe.

"Get away from her!" She shouted. For the second time, Crowley amazed everyone by grabbing hold of Mitsuba's axe mid-attack, and swung the unfortunate blondie over to his right and down into the ground. _"_ _No way! Are all nobles this powerful!?"_ Mitsuba thought from her position on the floor. Kimizuki approached from the rear and attempted to catch his opponent by surprise, only to cross swords with the powerful vampire. Yuichiro joined in on the action with an aggressive push on the right. Together the duo managed to back Crowley up, but neither had been able to land a single hit on him. Nonetheless, the two of them kept up their onslaught and waited for the perfect moment to unleash their plan. Getting tired of being on the defensive, the Progenitor made quick work of Kimizuki by kicking him away, but failed to do so with Yuichiro. The katana wielder proved to be much harder to get rid of. Irritated that a human was giving him so much trouble, Crowley unleashed a powerful overhead strike that brought Yuichiro down to his knees. It took all of his strength to prevent Crowley from crushing him where he stood. Yu couldn't hold out forever as his sword began to tremble as Crowley applied more force into his attack.

" _Damn it Yoichi! Hurry up!"_ Although he couldn't hear his thoughts, Yoichi got the message. He readied his bow and prepared to fire the special technique he had been working on. He held his breath and waited for the perfect moment to shoot.

"Yoichi! What are you doing? Yu's going to be crushed if you don't shoot! What are you waiting for!?" Shinoa exclaimed.

"Hold on! Not yet!" Yoichi replied. After a few seconds, Yoichi got the chance he was waiting for when Yu successfully managed to deflect Crowley's attack. His sword came crashing down, giving Yu the small opening he needed to stun the vampire. He kicked at the bloodsuckers' knee, then ran up the downed noble's chest and flip kicked him straight in the head. With Yu in the air and Crowley reeling from the attack Yoichi fired the bow. Again, Crowley intercepted the arrow and without even looking.

"You dumbass brats! The same trick won't work—" Crowley couldn't get out of the way of the second arrow in time and received a nasty cut as it sliced through his right shoulder. " _Gah! Son of a bitch that stings! That damn kid fired two arrows, one in the shadow of the other. Clever boy."_ The vampire thought as he leapt back towards the shadows. The noble took shelter in one of the abandoned buildings and carefully watched his opponents from the doorway leading outside. _"_ _That was a close call. If that shot had hit its mark I'd be nothing but a pile of ash right now. I have to take care of that kid."_ After recovering, Crowley made to move again but was seized by Shusaka's chains. _"_ _What the?"_

"I got him! Now!" Shusaku called. Shinoa, Rika, and Kimizuki all sprung to action to bring down the Thirteenth Progenitor. Crowley had other plans however, as he seized the chain and yanked on it with all of his might. Shusaku came flying straight into Kimizuki's back whom was pushed straight into Crowley's fist. Leaping away, Crowley managed to avoid the rest of the attack. He wasn't out of the woods yet however, as he had to dodge a barrage of arrows. After the rain of arrows, Mitsuba came in with a sweep of her axe but only managed to kick up rainwater.

 _"_ _Damn it! He's too fast! Nothing we are doing is working!"_ Mitsuba thought in frustration. She took her position with the rest of the group, many of whom were too battered to continue fighting. Sadly, their chances of survival were looking slim at best.

"Guys, it is no use. You should all get out of here while you still can. I can hold him off. No point in all of us dying here." Yuichiro said as he pulled out the small pack filled with the potent power amplifying drugs. Shinoa stepped forward immediately and tried to take the pack from the katana wielder.

"Like hell you will! You've already had two today, one more and you'll die for sure! I can't let you do that. I won't! That's an order Yu!" she said with tears in her eyes. Shinoa couldn't take it. She had already seen enough death for the day, and she sure as hell didn't want to watch as the boy she loved threw his life away. She was powerless however, as Yu downed his third pill and collapsed to the floor. "Yu! No no no no! Yu! Answer me!" she screamed as she cradled his lifeless form.

"The damned idiot…" Kimizuki said in disbelief.

"No…" Mitsuba couldn't stop the tears that fell from her cheeks.

"Yu…why?" Yoichi questioned. Crowley watched the whole ordeal with a smile on his face. He didn't even have to take out the Seraph, for he did it himself. Now that they were completely unfocused on the battle at hand, Crowley seized the opportunity and knocked everyone away without mercy save for a distraught Shinoa. Although he didn't kill anyone, Crowley ensured that no one would be able to interfere as he slaughtered Shinoa before all of their eyes. They all tried to move, to yell at Shinoa to run, but the girl wouldn't leave Yu's side. She was completely focused on him and totally oblivious of the vampire that was about to kill her.

"Any last words? Of course not. You pathetic livestock are all the same." He said as he ripped Yuichiro away and flung his body into an abandoned building with such force that the whole thing caved in on itself. Shinoa was horrified. Crowley picked her small form up off the floor where he held her by the neck. He ran the edge of his sword along the edge of her stomach and licked his lips. "Mmm how should I do this? Spilling your entrails all over the floor sounds like a good place to start!" he said as he drove his sword into Shinoa's abdomen. Everyone watching turned away in horror. They couldn't bring themselves to watch their friend die. However, if they paid closer attention then they would see that Crowley's attack never reached her abdomen. Shinoa was holding the sword just inches away from her own stomach, despite being choked. Crowley was in complete shock. He couldn't finish her. He looked down to see her bloodied hand holding his weapon with relative ease. The worst part was that she didn't even look like she was in any pain and a thick black aura started to surround the small girl.

"Yui…chi…ro" she managed to say just before her eyes rolled back and turned completely black.

"What the hell!? What are you!?" Crowley's confusion was enough to gather everyone's attention back to the scene.

"Oh no." Yoichi and Kimizuki both said from their positions next to each other. Even though they couldn't move they tried with all of their might to get back to their feet. Seeing her friends fighting the current pain they were in, Mitsuba called to them.

"Guys! What's going on?" she crawled all the way to the now kneeling forms of her remaining teammates.

"Shinoa has been possessed." Kimizuki told the blonde girl.

"Possessed? You mean by her cursed gear!? But how? It isn't nearly as powerful as a black demon series spirit and Shinoa is known to be able to resist that kind of thing. I mean she resisted Guren's didn't she? I don't—I don't understand." Mitsuba struggled to understand the situation. First Yu and now Shinoa. It was like reliving her past all over again. She broke down and began crying. Kimizuki did his best to comfort the girl while Yoichi began speaking.

"Kimizuki the same exact thing happened to me. Maybe we could, you know save her?" Yoichi proposed.

"Not yet." Came the surprising response from the orange haired teen. Both Yoichi and Mitsuba were about to give him a piece of their minds when he spoke up again. "Look. If we stop her now, we are all good as dead. We are just going to have to wait and see." Everyone focused their attention on the battle that was unfolding before them. Shinoa was wiping the floor with Crowley. He didn't even have enough time to block some of her attacks. Possessed Shinoa was absolutely relentless in her assault. Crowley tried to decapitate the crazed girl, but found that his swing only left him wide open. Shinoa came forth with a powerful slap that sent Crowley barreling through several buildings. A flash of lightning revealed to the spectators that Crowley was still on his feet after the attack but just barely. Seeing that her target was still standing, Shinoa's possessed form charged forward to put an end to the Thirteenth Progenitor once and her for all. Scythe at the ready, Shinoa prepared to deliver the final blow but was surprised to find it blocked by an all too familiar blonde vampire.

"Chess! Horn! Get him to Ferid! I'll deal with this." Mika ordered. The two female vampires nodded their heads and removed the battered Crowley Eusford from the battlefield. Once he was sure that they were gone, Mikaela turned his full attention to the twisted girl in front of him. "Damn humans! Always playing with things that they cannot control." He said as he struggled to gain the upper hand in their current stalemate. He decided to let her attack through with full force as he swiftly stepped out of the way. Defenseless and wide open, Shinoa couldn't block the savage kick that Mika unleashed on her. She tumbled through the air before crashing into one of the iron beams that supported the railway up above. Mitsuba, Yoichi, and Kimizuki barely had enough time to get out of the way of the collapsing structure. The trio didn't find any safety away from the rubble however, as Mikaela was soon upon them. "Before I kill you, tell me where I can find Yuichiro." He said simply.

"Like we'd ever tell you! Family of his or not, a vampire like you has no business with him!" Yoichi defiantly shouted.

"Fine. You'll be the first to die then." Mikaela raised his sword to put an end to Yoichi. Kimizuki raised his cursed gear in attempt to block, but he was still too weak from Crowley's attack that he was only knocked aside.

"Yoichi! No!" Mitsuba yelled. Yoichi closed his eyes and waited for the slash that would end his life. It never came however, as when the boy opened his eyes he was just as surprised as his other teammates to see Yuichiro standing in front of him, holding Mikaela's sword in the same manner that Shinoa was holding Crowley's earlier.

"I'm sorry Mikaela, but I can't let you do that."

 ** _Yuichiro's subconscious… 10 minutes earlier…_**

 _"_ _Well you've really gone and done it now." Asuramaru said from his position on top of the katana._

 _"_ _What are you talking about? What have I done?" Yuichiro asked in confusion._

 _"_ _You mean to tell me that you've forgotten already? Jeez, humans really are stupid. You ate the third pill—and your organs exploded. So you're dead, at least you should be." Asuramaru explained._

 _"_ _So am I dead or not?"_

 _"_ _Weren't you listening before bonehead!? You SHOULD be dead but you aren't. Don't look at me either. I know I'm powerful and all, but trying to put the pieces of your exploded organs together just isn't my forte. It's those damned_ _ **Angels!**_ _I hate those things. So you aren't dead because of them. I wouldn't thank them though. In return they just stole more of your humanity. Sure you are more powerful now, but it came at a cost. Not surprising to say the least."_

 _"_ _Can I save my friends? With this new power?" Yuichiro asked._

 _"_ _Yeah, you could. That is if you don't kill them first. Or if Crowley does—"_

 _"_ _Whoa whoa whoa! What do you mean if 'I don't kill them first'?"_

 _"_ _Easy, you humans often play with things you cannot control. Just the thought of power alone makes you all crazy. I don't understand it myself, but—"_

 _"_ _How can I control it?" Yuichiro interrupted._

 _"_ _CAN YOU STOP INTERRUPTING ME!?" Asuramaru roared._

 _"_ _Look I just want to protect my friends. I can't do that in my current state. I need your help Asuramaru. I need your power."_

 _"_ _And just how do you know that my power will help you to control that 'part' of you that you yourself can't control."_

 _"_ _I don't."_

 _"_ _Then why the hell risk it?"_

 _"_ _Because… I have things that I need to protect. That's why." Yuichiro stated firmly. Asuramaru didn't reply right away and instead approached the master that he recognized just two weeks ago._

 _"_ _So you are willing to throw away your_ _ **own**_ _humanity to protect the things that you love?"_

 _"_ _Whatever it takes." Yuichiro remained firm on his point._

 _"_ _Humans can be so foolish. Love is so—disgusting. It makes you act so stupidly."_

 _"_ _Think that if you want. I don't care. I just need your power." Yuichiro said a bit harshly._

 _"_ _Calm down. I already have given you all of my power. For the next ten minutes, you'll be able to utilize the full power of a demon. Before you go however, there is something that I'd like to discuss with you." Asuramaru said._

 _"_ _What is it?" Yuichiro asked._

 _"_ _Not now. There isn't enough time. I'll just tell you this, the next time you find yourself awake, come and find me. I have an_ _ **offer**_ _for you." Asuramaru took his position once more atop of the sword._

 _"_ _Asuramaru!" Yuichiro called._

 _"_ _What are you still doing wasting time here? You only have ten minutes you know!" Asuramaru said somewhat annoyed. He could never bring himself to understand humans. They were just so weird._

 _"_ _I know. I just wanted to thank you, for helping me in my time of need. For a demon, you aren't so bad." He said as he began to fade away. Asuramaru was left speechless. Never in all of his years as a demon or a vampire, was he ever thanked by a human being. He didn't know how to respond. All he knew was that his normal blood lust feeling was replaced with something warmer, a happier feeling._

 _"_ _Damned humans." He said as he closed his eyes._

 ** _Back at the battlefield…_**

"Yuichiro?" his squad mates all said in pure disbelief. They all thought they were seeing a ghost. He was covered in a thick black aura like Shinoa was, but his eyes hadn't turned black. The lone wing on his back wasn't present like the last time, so they were wondering how their seemingly dead teammate had been recalled to life.

"In the flesh!" he responded whilst maintaining his grip on Mikaela's sword. The blade was beginning to get slippery however, from all of the blood that spilled from his hand.

"Damn it, Yuichiro! Let go! They are just using you! They aren't your family! I am your family, remember? Come with me instead." Mika started.

"What are you talking about? No one is using me." Yuichiro said, somewhat confused.

"Yes they are! Don't you see they—" Shinoa's sudden outburst from the rubble put whatever Mika was about to say on hold. With blinding speed she appeared behind Mitsuba with her scythe and nearly cleaved the girl in two. Luckily, Yuichiro scooped Mitsuba up and got her away from her crazed teammate but not before yanking Mikaela's sword away and tossing it off into the rubble.

"What the hell is wrong with Shinoa!?" Yu asked.

"Well while you were—um—gone she kinda lost it and was possessed." Mitsuba informed him. Kimizuki and Yoichi soon appeared next to him, apparently in better condition than before.

"See Yuichiro, this demon is much weaker than the one that possessed Yoichi." Kimizuki said.

"It sure as hell doesn't look that way to me." Yuichiro replied.

"That's the thing that I don't understand either. She shouldn't be this powerful, so that must mean that Shinoa isn't entirely what she seems. Whether she knows it or not, I think she's got that same weird condition that you do or something similar. So that means we can definitely stop her but—"

"But what?" Yuichiro said.

"Your friend over there isn't just going to let that happen. I know that we can move and everything, but we are in no shape to fight a vampire. You on the other hand should have no problem keeping him off of our backs as we deal with Shinoa." Kimizuki looked straight at Yuichiro.

"Are you sure about this? If you can't fight a vampire what makes you think that you can fight Shinoa? She seems to be giving Mikaela a good thrashing over there."

"Because she's our friend. She wouldn't hurt us." Mitsuba spoke up.

"Yeah. Family protects family right?" Yoichi said with a smile.

"So, idiot are you in or not?" Kimizuki smirked and waited for his rival's answer.

"Of course. Whatever it takes to save Shinoa. Just one little thing… I um—only have so long until my body gives out from all of this power. You guys have six minutes at best. Think you can manage?"

"I see and then it's back to another coma for you. Well at least we will have some peace and quiet again." Kimizuki said with a small smile.

"Yeah. We'll be fine. Trust us." Yoichi added.

"Just don't go dying on us again, okay? We need you… Shinoa… needs you." Mitsuba said. The last part of her sentence put a small blush on Yu's face.

"You guys are right. Thank you but, I believe that we've wasted enough time on the sideline. Let's go save our friend." The Shinoa squad cheered and dispersed. Mitsuba, Yoichi, and Kimizuki did whatever they could to get Shinoa's attention giving Yuichiro the space he needed to confront Mika.

"She really did a number on you there didn't she? Don't worry she's actually pretty cool, you know when she isn't possessed." Yuichiro said nervously. The blue eyed vampire just sat slumped against the wall and glared at his former brother.

"How could you?"

"How could I what?" Yu tensed up for whatever Mika was about to say next. He was sure that he was going to bring up how he abandoned him in the past. This time however, it wouldn't just be some nightmare or the work of a demon. This time it would be the real thing.

"Let them use you like that!" Mika said angrily. "They aren't your family! They're just waiting for the right moment to stab you in the back. You are nothing more than a puppet in their schemes. They deserve to die." The last remark brought out a change in Yuichiro, one that Mika himself had never seen. Yu picked the beaten vampire off the floor and slammed him into the wall.

"Who the hell are you!? The real Mika would never say things like that! The Mika I knew was a loving and caring person! What did the vampires do to you!? Why did you change!?" Yuichiro yelled.

"Nothing! They made me see the truth! They showed me how ugly humans really are. They are worse than the vampi—" Mika's words were lost as Yu shoved him through the wall.

"How dare you!" Yu yelled once more as he swung at the person he thought was his brother. Mikaela intercepted the punch however and landed a hit of his own, freeing himself in the process.

"Fine! If you won't see reason, I'll take you by force. Then I'll kill them so that they can't play with your mind anymore!" Mikaela lurched forward and took Yu to the floor. Mika punched twice at Yu before receiving a nasty hook himself. Dazed from the last hit, he was unable to stop Yu from kicking him off and maneuvering to even the odds. Both brothers yelled and charged forward, each of their fists colliding with the other's face. Mikaela backed into what used to be a bar area and Yuichiro collapsed on one of the tables. He rose quickly to his feet and utilized his military training to land several good strikes to Mikaela. The vampire had learned a few things of his own and demonstrated them with a vicious roundhouse kick that knocked Yu to the floor. "You done yet? There's plenty more where that came from!" Mikaela said to the downed Yu.

"Hardly!" Yuichiro replied as he rolled away from a kick that would've definitely broken a rib or two. He leapt up and connected another right hook on Mikaela and followed up by smashing his head into the nearby wall. Mika reeled from the attack and didn't have the senses to dodge the kick that Yuichiro sent to his stomach. The former human crashed onto a table, shattering it. "You may have kicked my ass all those years ago, but not this time. I have too many things to protect." Yu said as Mika slowly rose to his feet. Yuichiro stepped forward, albeit too soon as Mika punched him in the stomach and got him in a chokehold.

"Seems that I still have the upper hand." Mika said confidently. He spoke to soon however, as Yu elbowed him and judo slammed him onto another table. Mikaela then showcased the flexibility of the vampires by managing to land a kick to Yu's head from his downed position. Stunned by the powerful kick, Mika followed up with a punch to the stomach and two more to Yu's face. The last attack Yu successfully blocked, leaving the blue-eyed teen open for a counter-attack. The human seraph landed two solid strikes on the vampire and dodged two fight-ending attacks himself. He closed in again and pinned Mika into a corner. He pummeled the poor vampire with strike after strike, so much so that Mika caught onto his attack pattern and executed a well-timed head butt. With both brothers at a complete stalemate and slowly losing all of their energy, their all-out brawl turned into a slugfest. One after the other, demon and vampire took turns exchanging violent blows to each other's skulls.

"I won't lose!" Yuichiro roared as he came in with his final right hook.

"Give up!" Mika said as he came in with his left. Both attacks found their mark and sent both boys backpedaling. _"_ _Impossible!"_ Mika thought as he felt his legs give way and he collapsed in a heap on the bar floor. Yu managed to regain his composure as he struggled to make his way to his downed brother.

"I told you that I would win. I'd never lose to a vampire. You seem to have forgotten who you once were. I don't know what they did to you, but you aren't the Mika I used to know. If I am being used or not doesn't matter to me because one way or the other at least I know that I am. I can't say the same for you however. How do you know that the vampires just aren't using you? You know, every night in my dreams for the longest time, I would relive the moment you all died. It was torture. Then I met all of them and everything changed. Thanks to them I was able to move on. So you see Mika, I can't let you kill them because they are my family. Lay one finger on them, brother or not, I swear that I will kill you." He said to the remnant of his past. It took everything that Yu had to avoid breaking down at that very moment. After all of these years apart, the two brothers emerged as enemies. The victor hobbled out of the building. Ironically, his fight with Mikaela felt more like a defeat than it did a triumph. Mika said nothing and stared blankly up at the forgotten roof of a renowned social venue. As soon as he was sure that Yu was gone, he let himself cry.

 _"_ _Is that what I've become? Am I—just a monster?"_ Mika rolled up into a ball and let his feelings flow. He would sit that way for a long time, until finally resigning to his fate and leaving to rejoin Ferid and the others. _"_ _No, I'm not the monster here. It was them. They did this to you. They made you think that I was the enemy… One day Yuichiro. I'll make you understand. They aren't your friends. Even if I have to take them from you, whatever it takes—to save you."_ He silently promised himself. Vampire or not, Mika was not going to give up on his brother so easily.

 ** _Meanwhile…_**

Yuichiro called out to his squad mates. When he received no reply he started to worry. _"_ _I hope they are alright…"_ he thought. He would never forgive himself if something happened to them. The worst part was that Yuichiro was starting to feel his strength fade away. Truth be told, his demon power ran out in the middle of his fight with Mikaela. It was a miracle that he was even standing, but he couldn't collapse now. The will to find his friends was the only thing that kept him going.

The sun pierced the gray clouds to reveal a bright new day had come. The members of Shinoa squad and the remaining few from the Narumi squad all sat in silence in the middle of a forgotten park. Mitsuba sat with the unconscious form of Shinoa just underneath a tree. Everyone had heard Yuichiro's call, but unfortunately none of them had the strength to call back. Their battle with Shinoa was definitely no walk in the park, (no pun intended) if the many fallen trees and battle scarred earth were any indication. Their Jida uniforms were almost completely torn to shreds. Kimizuki didn't have anything to cover his bare torso and Mitsuba barely had enough of her outfit left to cover her 'assets'. Again they all heard another one of Yuichiro's calls, this time however he sounded close. If they didn't do something and quick then he might just miss them. "Yo…Yoichi…" Mitsuba said hoarsely. When the bow user managed to finally look her way, she gestured for him to do something to get Yu's attention. Nodding his head in reply, Yoichi set out to accomplish his last and most important mission of the day. Using his bow to rise to his knee, he fired one last shot into the air. He prayed that Yu would see it, as that was all the power that he had left. No one would witness Yu's arrival as they all succumbed to their fatigue and passed out.

When Yoichi's arrow pierced the sky Yu's worries were all washed away. _"_ _They did it."_ He thought proudly. Once he arrived, the katana wielder was surprised to see everyone out of commission. It was when he finally caught sight of the non-possessed Shinoa that he was filled with joy. _"_ _She's okay after all."_ He limped over to the sleeping forms of the two girls when he saw how uncomfortable they both looked. At the tree, he fixed both girls into more comfortable positions before placing his jacket over the two of them. He smiled when he saw that even in sleep, the two girls fought over the warmth of his jacket. With one final task in mind, Yuichiro forced himself to walk to a small hill in the middle of the park. Once there he reached into his back pocket to pull out the flare gun that Guren had given him for emergencies. He aimed it toward the sky and shot off the green-colored ball of flame. His final task complete, Yuichiro smiled before allowing himself to also slip into darkness.

A/N: And that ends Nagoya! Man, fight scenes are a real doozy. They are really hard to write. Originally, I was going to write in the battle between Shinoa and the members of her squad but, it ultimately proved to be way too much. As you may have noticed, the chapters are getting longer and the reason for that is: the original content is all starting to roll out! Woohoo! Here and there I may follow an arc or two if it fits in with the story, but other than that this bad boy is walking its own path. Now some of you may be wondering what happened to Shinoa's cursed gear and to you I say, WAIT! Answers will come soon enough. So with that being said, I'd like to personally thank Harukamiori for leaving me my first review as well as those of you who have favorited and or are following this story! It really does motivate me to keep writing and I hope that many more will continue to enjoy reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. As always feel free to leave a review or PM me if you have any comments, questions, suggestions, and/or concerns. So until next time Seraphans, Frosty out!


	5. Chapter 5: Shadowridge

Disclaimer: I do not own **_Seraph of the End or any of its characters_**

"Speech"

 _"_ _Thoughts"_

Chapter 5: Shadowridge

Guren walked down the hall of _his_ own makeshift hospital. Sure it wasn't as glamorous as the one that the Hiragi's had control over, but it was his nonetheless. As a matter of fact, the Moon Demon Company leader had a base of his very own now. Everywhere he walked he did so with pride. It had been about a week since they'd slipped through the cracks at Nagoya and disappeared to a small and long forgotten snowy little town hidden at the base of a mountain. It would be almost impossible to find if you didn't know what you were looking for, but lucky for the entire Moon Demon Company, Guren was all too familiar with their newfound hideaway. 'Shadowridge' he called it. He smiled to himself just as he made another right in the direction of his target, a certain green-eyed idiot. _"_ _Room 34 on my right. That's where they said he'd be."_ He recalled. When word reached Guren that Yuichiro was waking up from his week-long coma he made it his personal mission to talk to him as soon as possible. The entire Shinoa squad was pretty much out of commission, so no one really knew what happened that day they were recovered. Guren remembered the scene clear as day. Sayuri had pointed out the green flare in the sky and he made the executive decision to go investigate. When he and his squad arrived, he was surprised to see that not only did they move in to help but also anyone else who had survived the Nagoya mission. Aiko had even arrived with dozens of prisoners that she'd freed from her squad's battle with their vampire noble. Seeing all of his army gathered around an almost completely destroyed park surrounding the battered and beaten members of the Shinoa squad and the three remaining members of the Narumi squad was almost too much to take in. _"_ _What in the hell happened here? It looks like the gates of hell opened in this very spot."_ Guren remembered thinking. Then just like that he ordered medics to treat the wounded and everyone else to board the transport trucks. The next three days were spent dodging Japanese Imperial Demon Army patrols, vampires, and the Four Horsemen of John, as well as traversing the treacherous roads that led to Shadowridge. For the entire trip, Guren personally kept a watchful eye on the members of the Shinoa squad. Although he would never admit it to them openly, he cared for all of them deeply. They reminded him of his own squad in a way that he couldn't explain.

Once they reached Shadowridge, Guren wasted no time in setting things in motion. He divided his squad up and sent them to oversee the development of his future base. In just four days, Mito had turned an apartment complex into a full-fledged barracks, Shigure transformed a high school into a rigorous training ground, Norito had amassed a decent sized armory, and Sayuri even got the old hospital up and running once again. Although his squad was truly talented, Guren owed much of his success to the efforts of his man on the inside, Shinya Hiragi. With the survivors that Aiko had saved, the small batch of reinforcements that Shinya had sent, and his own eighty some odd survivors of the Nagoya suicide mission, Guren had a nice little base of operations going. After spending much of his walk to Yuichiro's room reflecting on the last few days, Guren finally reached his destination. Taking a deep breath, the commander knocked and then entered the room. Yu was wide awake, sitting upright when Guren walked in. He made to salute but Guren shook his head and sat down.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Yuichiro said.

"Nothing much really. I came to check on you and ask a couple of questions. That is if you're up for it at least." Guren replied as he laid back on the small couch in Yu's room.

"Sure I can answer a few questions for you as long as you answer one for me."

"Alright, fair enough. Shoot."

"How are Shinoa and the others? Are they okay?" Guren smiled when Yu asked his question.

"Seems they've grown on you. So much for never getting close to anyone ever again, eh?" Guren teased. He was actually happy for Yuichiro. _"_ _The kid doesn't even remember that this is the place I found him after he escaped from those vampires. He surely has come a long way since then. Even so he is still an idiot."_ The colonel had a laugh to himself.

"Yeah yeah, so what? Are you going to answer my question or not?" Yu had to fight the urge to smile as he stared down his carefree commander. He was genuinely worried for his squad, most notably Shinoa (not that he'd ever admit that to anyone). Guren shook his head and decided that the child of prophecy had had enough.

"Yeah they are just fine. Yoichi and Mitsuba were actually discharged from the hospital earlier today. Your buddy Kimizuki is still nursing some injuries but he's expected to make a full recovery. Oh, I almost forgot that the surviving members of the Narumi squad are also doing just fine. A couple of weeks in the hospital and they should be back up to full strength." Guren informed him.

"That's great, but what about Shinoa? How is she doing?" Yu asked. It was at this point that Guren's mood changed instantly from laidback to completely serious. Noticing the sudden shift of emotion, Yu prepared himself for the worst.

"About her, we don't really know how she's doing. You see, Shinoa has been in a coma for as long as you have now and she's shown no signs that she'll be waking up anytime soon. The only good news is that she is still alive. With that being said, we may be able to piece together a solution if we know what brought on this coma in the first place. It's what I was meaning to ask you about Yu. What happened that day? When I found you guys, it totally looked like a tornado—actually more like several tornadoes hit the place. Seriously, was Lucal that big of a problem?" Guren asked. Yuichiro shook his head in response and began explaining to Guren everything that happened during the Nagoya mission including their run in with Crowley and his brawl with Mika. He even told him how he 'died' but left out his conversation with Asuramaru. When he was asked about what happened to Shinoa, Yuichiro informed him that he wasn't the one to talk to. All he knew was that when he came to, she was possessed by her cursed gear. Guren made a mental note to himself to speak with the rest of the members of the Shinoa squad to get the missing piece of the story. After he was sure that he had heard everything he possibly could from Yuichiro, Guren rose from his seat and approached the bed. In one swift motion, the commander gave Yu a good pounding on the top of his head.

"OW! What the hell is your damn problem!?" Yuichiro exclaimed angrily. His anger was understandable, after all no one really enjoys getting sucker-punched, but Yu's anger was nothing compared to how furious Guren was.

"YOU DAMNED IDIOT! What in the hell were you thinking!?" he yelled.

"Huh?" Yu's anger suddenly turned into confusion. As far as he was concerned, Guren wasn't the one that took a blow to the head.

"Don't 'huh' me! You know exactly why I'm pissed off. Three pills!?"

"That's what this is about? Guren, look—" Yu started.

"Don't you dare interrupt me this time kid! What you did was reckless and selfish. How could you do that to your teammates?"

"I—I needed more power. I wanted to save them. I didn't want them to have to die. I—I can't lose another family. Not again." Yuichiro said softly. He knew that he was in the wrong, but being yelled at the way he was, Yu didn't really know how to justify his actions.

"So throwing your own life away is the answer? Tell me something Yu, if you can't stand losing another family how do you think your team felt when they all saw you die in front of them?" When he received no reply he kept going, "There is something that you need to get through that thick skull of yours and it's the fact that your life is not your own. Let me be the first to tell you that if your little plan hadn't worked and your squad by some miracle managed to survive, they would forever have to live with the burden of your death. They would forever feel that guilt of not being able to save you when they had the chance. They'd go as far to blame themselves for your selfish action. I don't care whether or not you feel your actions are just, this is not to happen again. Are we clear?" Guren finished. When the normally loud-mouthed teen just nodded his head in response, Guren stormed out of the room. Feeling the guilt beginning to well up in his heart Yu resigned to his feelings and collapsed in his bed. He pondered over what he should do and finally settled on going to see Shinoa after he'd been discharged from the hospital. Having made up his mind on his plan of action Yu did his best to try and get some sleep.

 ** _Meanwhile…_**

Ferid awaited his contact at their usual meeting place amidst the ruins of Japan. He looked on at the full moon and sat carelessly atop one of the crumbling railings of the six-story building. _"_ _Are humans always so fashionably late?_ _What am I saying? I'm beginning to expect too much from these livestock."_ He laughed at the thought. Ironically, Ferid wasn't exactly punctual either, arriving thirty minutes late to his own meeting. However, his contact was now an hour late and Ferid wasn't too happy about the wait. Fortunately for the proud vampire the door leading to the roof opened up to reveal his 'irresponsible' contact. Ferid looked over his human 'partner' with an amused look on his face. Said human was standing rigid and proud and when he walked, he did so with discipline and strength. The display was comical to the Seventh Progenitor.

"The locations of three more human settlements, as per our agreement." The tall man said as he extended the detailed map to the vampire. "I take it you brought the research?" the man asked. Ferid was annoyed by the human's tone. He didn't show it however, as he stood up just as the railing he was sitting on crumbled away into the streets below.

"Yes, yes I brought the research." He let out a small laugh. "You humans just don't know when to quit do you? It just seems like all of your toys get bigger and bigger and the best part is you don't even know how to handle them." The tall man didn't answer and just turned to leave. "Bye now! Don't go causing another apocalypse for yourselves!" the vampire jokingly shouted to his departing contact. When the door slammed shut the Seventh Progenitor looked over the locations on the map. He smiled devilishly when he saw just how large the settlements were. _"_ _That much livestock will definitely help in my research. Of course there will be plenty to satisfy my_ _ **other needs.**_ _"_ He thought with a sinister laugh. The vampire noble tucked away the map and departed for Sanguinem. On his way home however, he stumbled upon an interesting scene. Ferid stopped and peered over the rooftop into a small alleyway where he saw two vampires cowering before a mysterious hooded figure. Instead of moving to their aid, he decided to watch the scene from afar.

The hooded figure moved closer and closer to his prey until he cornered them at the end of the long and dark alleyway. It was unlike vampire's to cower in fear, but the **_monster_** in front of them was unlike anything they had ever seen before. Even in the darkness, there was no mistaking the shadowy wing like appendages that burst from his back. His blood red eyes was the only other color that the vampires could make out in all of the blackness. At first they thought him to be a fellow vampire, but they soon found out the error in their mistake.

"P-p-please don't hurt us!" One begged for his life. The hooded figure only stepped closer and offered no response. He sent a chill down their spines when he tilted his head slightly and pierced them with his bloodlust filled gaze. Ferid watched the whole scene with genuine interest. Even from where he was watching he could feel the killing intent that was irradiating off of the mysterious figure.

For reasons unknown, one of the vampires made a move for the hooded figure. Perhaps he was tired of waiting for the inevitable or maybe he was just that eager to die, nonetheless the hooded figure hardly raised a muscle as one of his wings sprang into action. The vampire was impaled by the dark appendage in several different places, most notably in his head. The remaining fang just slumped down in defeat as he looked on at his now dead partner. In a gruesome display of power, the hooded figure's wing expanded outward, effectively splattering the impaled vampire's remains all over the alleyway. _"_ _Oh my."_ Ferid thought as he witnessed the spectacle. In his own twisted way, the Seventh Progenitor was amused by what was going on. He didn't dare to blink as he watched the alleyway, for fear of missing anything at all.

"Wh—what are you?" the survivor choked out. This time the winged killer decided to respond with a voice that definitely was not human.

" **I am lost."** Came the cryptic reply. The vampire began to whimper and closed his eyes as he awaited his fate. After several moments without feeling anything the bloodsucker reluctantly opened his eyes, a decision he would ultimately regret. Directly in front of his face were the blood red eyes of his assailant. The vampire was terrified. This close in the darkness and the only thing he couldn't even make out any facial features. He was gazing straight into a shadow. He tried to scream, but no sound would come. He couldn't bring himself to move either. All he could do was sit and wait for his killer to go to work. The man who was lost never made his move however. He simply backed away and started to leave the alleyway. The vampire breathed a sigh of relief, a bit too early unfortunately. The hooded figure stopped in the middle of the alleyway and turned his attention back to the remaining fang just in time to see two Horsemen of John burst from two buildings to devour the poor survivor. He then looked to a nearby rooftop and caught the gaze of his lone spectator. The two gazed into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity, each one analyzing one another. Then without warning the hooded figure just disappeared, leaving behind a perplexed noble.

 _"_ _What!? Did he just control the Four Horsemen? I know that we've convinced some of the humans that they do our bidding, but every vampire knows that isn't true. There's no way someone can…"_ Ferid just couldn't wrap his head around what just transpired. At that very moment, he recalled overhearing some vampire soldiers discussing something about a man who killed humans and vampires alike and could control the Four Horsemen of John. "Midnight" is what they called him. At first Ferid just brushed off their talk as some stupid boogey-man that they'd come up with to scare each other. After tonight however, he could no longer brush off their tale. _"_ _Interesting. It would seem that the humans aren't the only thing that we have to worry about."_ He looked back to where he last saw the hooded figure as if he was going to magically reappear in that very spot. When Midnight failed to show up, Ferid reluctantly decided it was time to head back to Sanguinem. He leapt from rooftop to rooftop with incredible speed toward his destination. He wasn't particularly thrilled about returning to the vampire capital, but if he wanted to avoid arousing suspicion he decided it would be best to return as soon as possible. Even so, that particular subject was far from his mind. In fact, the only thing that the Seventh Progenitor could think about, was the man with the red eyes. The man whom the vampire noble suddenly realized was exactly what Yuichiro was—a Seraph.

 ** _One day later…_**

After being released from the hospital first thing in the morning, Yu attempted to find Shinoa's room. Just before getting there however, he bumped into Mitsuba and Yoichi whom were on their way to visit Kimizuki and they insisted that he join them. Despite his initial protest he 'resigned' to join them after Mitsuba tugged him along. When they arrived to Kimizuki's room, they weren't surprised to find the orange-haired teen in a sour mood.

"This place sucks." He mumbled.

"Come on, it isn't so bad. R-right Yuichiro?" Yoichi looked to his friend for reassurance. Although he was becoming more confident, Yoichi still had his occasional moment of self-doubt.

"It definitely beats lying on your ass in the middle of nowhere if you ask me." Yuichiro responded.

"Yeah? Well who asked you?" Kimizuki said.

"What the hell—"

"Alright! Enough you two. Seriously Kimizuki we can leave if this is how you are going to be. We thought some company might cheer you up but clearly you are in as sour a mood as yesterday." Mitsuba said as she motioned for Yoichi and Yuichiro to leave with her.

"No wait!" Kimizuki sighed when they stopped. "Look—I'm sorry. It's just—I'm worried about my sister and being in here is so boring. There's nothing to do!"

"What's going on with your sister? Is she okay?" Yuichiro was the first of the trio to speak. Kimizuki was caught off guard by Yu's sudden concern for his sister's well-being. It took several moments for him to gather his composure up enough to speak again.

"I don't know. Guren came in here yesterday and told me that we are in this new place called Shadowridge and all this other stuff about a coup d'état—and I'm just worried about what happened to Mirai. What if—"

"Hey man, don't worry so much. I'm sure she's fine." Yuichiro interrupted.

"Yeah! She is your sister after all. Don't worry so much. I've got to speak with Guren later today anyway so if you want I could ask him—" Mitsuba added.

"Yes please ask him. Thank you guys. It means a lot to me."

"It's what friends are for!" Yoichi said with a smile. The group then spent the time by engaging in small talk about their new home. After a few hours of hanging out with Kimizuki, a nurse came and asked for them politely to leave so that she could take care of the injured teen. When they all said their goodbyes, Mitsuba informed Yoichi and Yuichiro that she was going to go meet with Guren. Before departing she asked for them to meet her at the center of Shadowridge in an hour. She told them that it was important to her that they did so the duo agreed to be there on time. After she left, Yoichi decided to spend their time getting some lunch after hearing Yuichiro's stomach growl. Once they received their ration from the hospital cafeteria they sat down at one of the many open tables.

"Man don't they have anything better for us to eat?" Yuichiro complained as a spoonful of beans fell back onto the plate with a loud 'splat'.

"It isn't so bad you know. It's better than nothing." Yoichi said in between mouthfuls.

"Yeah I guess you have a point. Still, I'd like a little more than just beans and rice you know?"

"I hear you. What I would give to have some steak—" Yoichi began fantasizing about different food when Yuichiro spoke up.

"Stop."

"What?"

"Talking about food. We're still eating slop here remember?" Yuichiro said whilst pointing his spork at Yoichi.

"Oh. Sorry about that." Yoichi said sheepishly. He continued eating his food and was surprised to see that Yuichiro had scarfed down his entire plate. "Must've been pretty good slop for you to wolf it down like that." Yoichi said with a laugh.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah the best!" Yuichiro joined in the laughter. After they finished eating Yuichiro decided to see if Yoichi knew anything about Shinoa's condition. "Hey, Yoichi?"

"Yes?"

"What's going on with Shinoa? I heard she was in a coma. Have you heard anything about her? Anything at all?" Yu asked.

"Well I know about as much as you do. There was this one thing that Guren told me yesterday when he came to visit Mitsuba and me. Something about how he thinks that she's in a coma because the contract between her and her demon was lost or something like that."

"Lost? What do you mean lost?"

"I don't know. According to Guren she doesn't have a demon contract anymore. He said they ran some tests and for some reason whatever demon she had a contract with just up and vanished. Guren thinks because it wasn't a black demon series, when it lost control of Shinoa's body it's power was drained and it died or something. One way or another, we wouldn't be able to test the theory out anyway."

"Because she's in a coma?"

"No. We don't have her cursed gear. When they picked us up they must've left it behind in Nagoya and it is far too risky to go and look for it with this coup d'état and everything."

"Oh. I see then." Yuichiro said.

"Yeah, but hey, don't worry too much about her okay? Shinoa will pull through. I know it. She just needs time."

"Yeah I know. Thanks Yoichi. I appreciate the thought. So, what do you say we go and make our way to the center of town?" Yuichiro proposed.

"Let's go, but first let me grab a jacket. It's freezing out there!"

"That'd probably be a good idea." Yuichiro said causing both boys to erupt into laughter.

 ** _Center of Shadowridge…_**

"Man! Where is she? Doesn't she know how cold it is!?" Yuichiro vented his frustration. Mitsuba had said in an hour and she was already twenty minutes late.

"Hey, don't worry she's probably just busy. As a matter of fact here she comes now." Yoichi said much to Yu's relief.

"About damn time!" Yu exclaimed. When Mitsuba arrived, the two boys were surprised to see the blondie had changed her JIDA uniform out for a puffy red jacket and jeans. She also had a black scarf around her neck.

"Sorry I'm late guys. My meeting with Guren took a lot longer than expected." She said as she caught her breath. She'd hightailed it out of her room when she finally realized the time it was. She looked over her teammates and couldn't help but laugh. "You know, you guys don't always have to wear your uniforms! Don't you have anything else to wear?" Both boys blushed furiously when they realized that the JIDA uniform WAS practically the only thing they had to wear.

"I—uh—left all my clothes back at my room in Shibuya." Yuichiro said embarrassedly. Yoichi nodded his agreement with Yu's previous statement and looked down to avoid Mitsuba's gaze.

"Oh seriously? That sucks. Well we can't have that now, can we?" Mitsuba said happily.

"What?" Yu asked.

"Well since you guys don't have any clothes, we'll just have to get you some! Guren said this town was practically untouched in the apocalypse. Said it was completely evacuated, so that means the stores around here have to have some goodies for you guys!" Mitsuba cheered.

"Wait, I thought you said you had something important to tell us?" Yoichi said.

"I do."

"Then do you mind telling us?" Yuichiro said somewhat annoyed. The last thing he wanted to do was go shopping, although he had to admit his wardrobe could use some updating.

"I will, while we shop!" Mitsuba said as she started off in the direction of a store.

"But we don't have any money! How can we shop without money!?" Yoichi pointed out.

"Oh you know what I mean! Are you two just going to stand there all day or are you coming?" Mitsuba said impatiently. The two boys sighed heavily before running to catch up with the blonde-haired girl. The trio visited dozens of abandoned stores and each tried on at least a hundred different outfits. Despite initially not wanting to go, Yuichiro was having a good time with his comrades. It then donned on him that he had all of these clothes, but nowhere to store them.

"Mitsuba?" Yuichiro called out. Said girl was currently posing in front of a mirror with sunglasses and a large straw hat. She looked like a total Hollywood diva.

"Yes?" she said while spinning around and doing what she called her 'model walk'.

"This has been fun and everything, but where are we going to put all of this stuff? There's just no room for any of this stuff in our little rooms." Yu informed her.

"Oh! That's what I wanted to talk to you guys about. See, I wasn't a fan of the tiny quarters either, so I convinced Guren to let us—you know—relocate!"

"Relocate?" Both boys said in unison.

"Yeah. He gave us permission to move into any one of the houses around town, so long as it is close by. That way he can reach us quickly in emergencies and stuff." She informed them.

"That's what your whole meeting with Guren was about then?" Yoichi asked.

"Oh no! Guren wanted me to meet with him to talk about Nagoya and a few other things. Although, me trying to convince him was the reason I was late." She admitted as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"Look I like you guys and everything but I'm not so sure I'm ready to live with all of you just yet." Yuichiro revealed.

"You dummy!" Yuichiro had to dodge the hanger that Mitsuba threw his way. "I convinced Guren to let us move anywhere in the town. We don't all have to live in the same house. We could even move into one of the smaller apartment complexes so that each of us have our own room! There's also the school dorms that are available too!" Mitsuba said.

"Well why didn't you say that in the first place!?" Yuichiro said from behind a coat rack.

"You didn't let me finish." Mitsuba simply stated.

"She has a point." Yoichi joined in. Yuichiro growled at the bow user who put his hands up defensively. "So we get to live anywhere we want? Sounds pretty cool if you ask me." Yoichi said as he turned his attention back to Mitsuba.

"Tell me about it! Even if bird brain over there doesn't think so." Mitsuba huffed.

"Hey! I didn't say it was a bad idea. I just wasn't on board with all of us living together." Yu defended.

"Are we that bad?" Yoichi said softly.

"No Yoichi, that wasn't what I meant. It's just that we still barely know each other. Don't you think it'd be a little weird for all of us to live together all of a sudden?" Yuichiro said as he attempted to defuse the situation.

"Yeah I guess you're right. Kimizuki can be a real grouch." Yoichi said causing everyone to burst into laughter. Meanwhile in his hospital room Kimizuki sneezed loudly.

After everyone stopped laughing the trio decided that they should call it a day. On the way back to their rooms they all decided that they were to move into the student dorms just across from the hospital. They all dispersed to gather what little possessions they had and walked them over to their new residence. When Yu opened the door to his new home he was happy to see that he had a spacious little apartment of his own. _"_ _Dorm 34. Home sweet home."_ He said as he set his stuff down. The little apartment was complete with a small living room, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a bed that was tucked away in the back near a window. All in all he loved it. He made his way to the lone window in his room and peered outside. He picked his dorm pretty high up and was glad that he did. He had an amazing view of Shadowridge. The snowfall and light of the moon brought painted a beautiful white paradise. _"_ _How could anyone forget this place?"_ he asked himself as he marveled at the town's beauty. He looked over at the clock on the wall and noted the time. _"_ _8:30. I still have some time to visit Shinoa."_ Yuichiro organized his room in record time and jumped into the shower directly afterwards. He then dressed himself in jeans and a black long sleeved shirt and completed the outfit with a hoodie that Mitsuba and Yoichi had found for him. It was a dark charcoal grey and on the back it had an intricate tribal outline of a wolf. To say he liked the hoodie would be a huge understatement. It had officially become his favorite piece of clothing of all time. Once outside he quickly became aware of just how cold it really was outside. He wrapped his arms around himself and trudged through the snow to get to the hospital. _"_ _Damn! I really should've gotten snowshoes or something!"_ he yelled at himself. When he finally reached his destination he was relieved to be out of the cold and into someplace warm. He was surprised to see that even at 9:00 at night, the hospital was still busy as ever. He tried to ask for directions from several of the nurses, but they were all so preoccupied that none of them could offer him any help. Growing more impatient by the minute, Yuichiro decided that he'd find her room himself. After all, he figured that since they had the patient's name on the plaques outside the room then it would be a piece of cake. His assumption turned out to be a grave mistake however, as many of the plaques were missing or simply didn't have a name on them. The ones that did he didn't recognize at all. _"_ _This is pointless. What was I thinking?"_ he was so lost in thought that he didn't notice Sayuri walking his way. The two collided and both crashed into the floor. "Ow! Sorry about that! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." Yuichiro said while dusting himself off. He moved to help Sayuri but, froze when he realized just who it was he knocked over.

"Oh no, no need to apologize, really! I was in such a hurry myself that I wasn't paying much attention either. Guess it's on both—" she paused when her eyes met emerald green ones. "Yuichiro? Fancy running into you here! Last I heard, you were discharged."

"I was. I just came to visit someone." Yuichiro informed his former teacher.

"This person would be Shinoa Hiragi, right?" Sayuri said with a sly smile. With his face the color of a tomato, Sayuri guessed that she'd hit the nail on the head.

"I—uh—how did you know!?" Yu stammered.

"Call it a woman's intuition. Besides my records show that you've already visited Kimizuki earlier today and considering how the two of you could barely stand each other in my class, I assume that he isn't the one you are visiting. Unless of course you swing that—"

"No no!" Yuichiro quickly interjected, earning a small giggle from Sayuri.

"I was only teasing Yuichiro. If it's Shinoa you are looking for, I'm sure that you'd be happy to know that she is in the room directly behind you."

"You can't be serious."

"What?"

"Nothing. I just didn't expect her to be so close is all."

"Oh. Well alright then. I guess I'll leave you to it then. I need to go and handle important paperwork for the hospital. Before I go Yuichiro, I hope that you aren't up to any funny business." She said as she jabbed a finger at him.

"Of course not!" he said defensively.

"Good. See you around then!" She said as she turned to leave. Before she was out of earshot however, Yu called out to her.

"Thanks Ms. Hanayori!" His former teacher turned and smiled in response before disappearing behind a corner. Yu took a deep breath and prepared himself mentally for whatever he was about to see. He grabbed the door handle but hesitated in entering the room. A tense feeling began to well up in Yu's stomach and he wanted nothing more than to just run away at that very moment, but his desire to see Shinoa was enough to give him the strength to find the courage to open the door. The first thing he heard when he walked in was the rhythmic beat of the machine keeping the purple haired girl alive. _Beep. "Shinoa…" Beep. "This is all my fault" Beep._ He hadn't even looked at the girl yet and he was already being hammered by his feelings of guilt, courtesy of a beeping monitor. When he finally found it in his heart to look her way, Yuichiro was in awe. She was lying perfectly still, not a single ounce of emotion present on her face. The moon's rays pierced the darkness of the room and illuminated the petite girl in a brilliant silver glow. Even in this state, Yuichiro couldn't help but admire her beauty. He found a chair in the room and pulled it over to the edge of her bed before plopping himself down in it. He struggled to find the words to begin the speech he'd gone over a thousand times in his head. The normally confident swordsman was but a fraction of himself. Yu didn't know for how long he sat there in silence, for all he knew it could have been an eternity. Just him, Shinoa, and the steady _beep_ of the machine in the darkness. It was truly maddening. Then in a sudden outburst, Yu finally spoke up. "Hey you! I don't know if you can hear me but just in case you can, there's something that I'd like to say. In Nagoya—the fight—I did something pretty stupid. For that, I am truly sorry. I—I wasn't thinking. I was just being selfish. In trying to be a hero I only caused you harm."

 _Beep._

 _Beep._

 _Beep._

"This is all my fault. If only I'd listened to your orders that day, then maybe we wouldn't be in this position. I don't know. No use in mulling over it though now right? I guess I should just be happy that my stupidity didn't get us all killed or worse. I still can't help it though… seeing you like this… and knowing that it's my fault… it's just— just that…" the longer he went on the harder it was for Yuichiro to speak. Without realizing it, Yuichiro subconsciously had grabbed one of Shinoa's hands and he was holding it tightly. "Forgive me." He asked knowing full well that she wouldn't reply. Miraculously however, the purple haired girl found a way to reach Yuichiro, even in her coma. Although it wasn't anything major, Yuichiro was positive that he'd felt Shinoa squeeze his hand. When he looked up to see if she was awake, the green eyed boy was amazed to say the least, when he saw the lone tear streak that glistened on Shinoa's cheek. _"_ _She's not awake is she?"_ he wondered. Yuichiro waited for the moment when she'd sit up and open her eyes, but sadly she showed no sign of waking up. Feeling that he was just imagining things and that he was making it worse for himself, he decided it was time for him to start going back. Yu was thrown for a loop a third time that night when Shinoa's iron grip prevented him from walking away. _"_ _What the? She doesn't want me to leave?"_ he thought as he walked back to the edge of her bed. _"_ _Well I guess I'm going to be here the rest of the night."_ Yu thought with a small smile. Shinoa looked somewhat uncomfortable however, causing Yu to question what was troubling her. Having an idea at what was bothering his teammate, Yuichiro climbed into the bed next to her to see how she would react. He smiled when the frown that adorned her face slowly became a smile. "You're weird you know that?" he said as a joke. He laughed when he noticed her frown again. "I'm starting to think that you aren't in a coma." He said. Seemingly able to hear him the girl smiled and squeezed Yu's hand as if telling him that he was right. Taking the hint, Yu resolved to speak with Guren as soon as possible concerning Shinoa's condition. Since it was getting late, Yu decided it was the best time for him to get some sleep, but not before turning back around and planting a small kiss on Shinoa's forehead. Although Yu was blushing furiously, it was nothing compared to how red Shinoa's face was. Even in her coma it was obvious that the young girl was jumping for joy.

A/N: Hello there readers! It's been quite some time since my last update and there is a good reason for that… I started college last week! I have to admit it was a pretty hectic first week, (I even got a boat load of homework! Lucky me right?) So as far as this story goes, I am going to do my best to update as regularly as possible, hopefully once a week but I won't make any promises. I'd like to give a personal shout-out to Hinoiri Lwin and Bloodstorm200 for your reviews! They are much appreciated! If any of you guys are looking for a good read, check out Hinoiri Lwin's stories. They are awesome! On a different note, I am going to be working in a time-skip here soon. I'm not sure when but just be aware that it is coming! Also I am well aware that this chapter isn't as action packed as the last one, but it is an important stepping stone in getting the ball rolling. So as always if any of you would like to leave a suggestion, comment, question, or concern please feel free to PM me or leave a review. Until next time Seraphans! Frosty out!


	6. Chapter 6: Demons

Disclaimer: I do not own **_Seraph of the End or any of its characters_**

"Speech"

 _"_ _Thoughts"_

Chapter Six: Demons

 ** _Yuichiro's Subconscious…_**

 _"_ _Well, look who decided to show up!" Asuramaru said from his perch on top of the katana._

 _"_ _What are you talking about?" Yu responded whilst scratching the back of his head._

 _"_ _Hmmm, let's see… what am I talking about? I dunno—Oh! That's right! I specifically told you to find me when you woke up didn't I!? But wait! You have 'plenty' of time for that purple haired girl don't you?" As mad as Asuramaru appeared to be, Yu couldn't help but laugh. "What's so funny? I didn't give you permission to laugh." The demon said while pouting._

 _"_ _Last I checked I didn't need your permission to laugh. Besides I never would have pegged you for the jealous type there Asuramaru. I mean I know that you_ _ **look**_ _like a girl and everything, but never in a million years would I have guessed that you had a thing for—"_

 _"_ _I will end you if you finish that sentence."_

 _"_ _Relax. I was only joking. So now that you've got my attention what was it that you wanted me to see you about? If I remember correctly you had made me an offer in regard to power." Yu said in an attempt to get the demon talking. Even in his subconscious his body still wanted him to sleep and with the warm presence of Shinoa nearby, he was finding it extremely hard to stay awake._

 _"_ _Yes. I did." Asuramaru quickly changed his tone. If Yu wasn't so tired, he would've noticed the change in the demon's demeanor. The normally confident vampire seemed to be more nervous as he started to speak. Truth be told, he was afraid of how his master would react to his offer. It wasn't every day that he asked a human if it was okay with being transformed into a vampire._

 _"_ _Well? Are you going to tell me or what? It's not necessarily easy to stand here and wait when you're tired you know." Yu spoke up impatiently._

 _"_ _Well, as you already know, you aren't exactly one-hundred percent human—"_

 _"_ _Sooooo?"_

 _"_ _Sooo you are far more powerful than the rest of your kind."_

 _"_ _Thanks for the info, but I think that I could've figured that out on my own." Yuichiro didn't mean to be so impatient, but if he didn't get to sleep soon then he definitely was going to lose his mind._

 _"_ _Would it kill you to let someone finish speaking for once? The more you interrupt me, the longer it is that I'm going to have to keep you here." Asuramaru said with his arms crossed._

 _"_ _Alright alright! I'll be quiet."_

 _"_ _Never thought I'd hear that from you." The demon said with a laugh, earning a glare from the green-eyed teen. "Is that anyway for you to look at someone who's offering you more power?"_

 _"_ _It is when they are keeping you from sleeping." Yuichiro huffed._

 _"_ _Quit your whining. Don't worry, I won't keep you from your purple-haired friend much longer." Asuramaru sighed and prepared himself for what was to come. "Yuichiro, how would you feel about becoming a vampire?"_

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _You know it isn't so bad. You live for a really long time and you get—"_

 _"_ _Did you just say what I think you said?" Yuichiro was wide awake now. There was no mistaking it. His demon just asked him if he wanted to become a fang. A fang!_

 _"_ _I—uh—yes." Asuramaru said with a downcast look. Based on Yu's reaction, he doubted that he was going to accept his offer. He face palmed mentally after realizing just how stupid it was of him to ask something so ridiculous. The vampires are practically what ruined his host's life. Why on earth would he ever agree to become one!? Asuramaru slumped down in defeat and rested his back against the cold steel of the katana._

 _"_ _Asuramaru?" The demon in question looked to his master and prepared for the onslaught that was about to come._

 _"_ _Yeah, what is it?"_

 _"_ _About your offer… I'm listening…" Yu said uneasily. The thought of more power excited Yuichiro, but he wasn't too keen on giving up his humanity to attain it. Nonetheless he decided that he could at least hear his inner demon out. After all he could always just say no._

 _"_ _Yeah I know it was stupid—wait—_ _ **WHAT!?**_ _"_

 ** _Undisclosed Location…_**

Mika maneuvered through several hallways in total darkness. The blonde haired vampire wasn't particularly fond of his destination, but orders were orders and disobeying Ferid was not something he wanted to do at the moment. When he opened the doors to the small chamber that served as the silver-haired noble's base of operations, he was surprised to see so many vampires gathered in such a small area.

"Mika! How nice of you to finally join us. Now we can begin!" Ferid roared. Mika just growled and took his place amongst the crowd. He wasn't paying much attention to the Seventh Progenitor's speech and instead just stared off into space. All the blue-eyed vampire could think about was Yuichiro.

 _"_ _How do you know the vampires just aren't using you!?"_ Mika recalled the words of his former brother.

"I don't…" he answered softly. As quiet as Mika was with his answer, he couldn't have predicted that _someone_ was bound to hear him.

"You don't what?" came a sweet voice. The voice was reminiscent of Yu's and Mikaela's former foster sister: Akane.

 _"_ _It can't be…"_ Mika thought as his hopes began to rise. When he raised his head to see just who held the voice of an angel, he was disappointed to see that it wasn't his lost sister, but instead a pretty and young looking red-headed vampire. "Oh… I'm sorry. I was just talking to myself." Mika said stupidly.

"That bored huh? I feel you. Ferid has a nasty habit of dragging these things on and on." The girl rolled her eyes to further emphasize her point when the Seventh Progenitor began speaking once more.

"Yeah. He does." Mika said weakly. He wasn't really interested in pursuing the conversation any further. He wanted nothing more than to retreat into his thoughts be free of the place he was currently in. The red-headed girl in front of him however, would have no such thing as she continued talking.

"Wow. You don't talk much do you? The name's Scarlett and don't worry, I don't bite—vampires at least." She said jokingly. When Mika failed to find the humor in the joke, the girl sweat dropped. "Tough crowd. Jeez! Lighten up there blondie! Nothing wrong with smiling a little you know."

"What's the point?" Mika responded in his usual uninterested manner. If it didn't concern Yuichiro then the blonde vampire could care less about what transpired in the vampire world. He had one goal and that was to save his brother from the clutches of humanity and then escape to somewhere free of both vampires and humans.

"Damn, you really personify the dead there emotionless. Seriously, are you always like this?" she asked.

"If I am? I don't see the importance of this discussion." Mika answered a bit rudely.

"I see. You are one of those 'anti-social' types. You know what your problem is blondie?"

"No and I don't really care."

"You don't know how to have fun. See you sit there and pout and you are all like 'Ooo my life sucks' and your face is all 'kill me now'. Not the best attitude to have when you live forever you know." The red-headed vampire said a little too enthusiastically.

"And you don't know when to stop talking." Mikaela said, clearly annoyed now.

"See that right there is why you don't have any friends. You're just a brooding asshole. That's right. A brooding asshole." Scarlett crossed her arms and turned her attention back to Ferid's speech. Even though Mika was irritated, he couldn't help but feel bad that he'd been such a jerk. With a heavy sigh, Mika decided that it was in his best interest to apologize. He tapped her shoulder to get her attention but she refused to turn around. Seeing as he only had one option, Mika maneuvered himself around so that he was standing directly beside her.

"Look, I know that I came off as a total jerk and I'm sorry for that. It's just that I have a lot of things on my mind and I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone right now. I just wanted you to understand that. I'll be on my way now." Mika finished as he prepared to leave. He weaved his way through the crowd and out into the dimly lit streets of Sanguinem. He stumbled into three children that were coming from the place that Yuichiro hated so much as a kid. The vampires called it the Holding Pens, the children nicknamed it the "Bloodpit". The leader of the three kids fell flat on his rear after bumping into Mika's leg. The blonde vampire moved to help the little boy up but stopped after seeing the look of absolute terror in the child's eyes. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you." He said in an attempt to ease their sense of fear. His plan backfired when a wild rock appeared out of thin air and collided with his forehead. With Mika stunned from the attack, the kids seized their opportunity and bolted down a nearby alleyway. "Argh! You damned brats!" he called out after them, but he made no move to pursue the children.

"Wow they got you good! You're just going to let your food get away from you like that?" Scarlett said from behind him.

"Gah! You again? What the hell? Where did you come from?" Mika said as he jumped up in surprise. He didn't even sense her presence or hear her approach.

"The same place you did obviously."

"I know that! What are you doing out here anyways? Shouldn't you be inside?" Mika asked clearly still recovering from the jump scare she had given him.

"I could ask you the same question you know. Besides, we both know what Ferid is talking about in there so what's the point? Being out here is way more fun. Oh and uh your face, it's bleeding." The red headed vampire tensed up at the sight of Mika's blood. The dark red substance looked utterly delicious to the girl and it took everything she had to not jump on him to lick it off.

"What? I'm-" Mika reached up and touched his forehead. He winced when he ran his fingers over the nasty gash that the rock had left him and was surprised that the kids had that much power in their little arms. It didn't take very long for such a minor wound to heal, but the trail of blood left on his face was still an issue. In his many years in Sanguinem, Mika learned that not all vampires were as good as others when it came to controlling their hunger. The last thing he needed was to start a brawl over his own blood. Lucky for him, Scarlett came to his rescue. "What the? Hey! What're you doing!?" Mika said as the girl kept trying to dab his face with a small handkerchief.

"Damn it! Hold still, if anyone inside gets a whiff of your blood then you are going to have a serious issue on your hands." She ordered. Seeing as how he had no other choice Mika did as he was told and waited patiently for Scarlett to clean his face. "You know, I never did get your name." She said just as she finished.

"Mikaela Hyakuya." He said with a faint blush. The blonde vampire had never been so close to a girl before, and with Scarlett inches away his face he couldn't help it. Inside the chamber he hadn't really paid much attention to what she looked like, but now with their current proximity he didn't have much of a choice. She had short shoulder-length red hair complete with bangs that covered her left eye. The lone eye that he could see could have been mistaken for a ruby in its brilliance and her skin was an olive color, a trait that was unusual for vampires. There was no denying her beauty and for several moments, Mikaela was awestruck by it.

"Mikaela? That's a nice name. So, Mikaela what do you say we go do something wild and stupid?" Scarlett asked with a gleam in her eye.

"I don't think—"

"What are you, a baby? Come on you aren't even doing anything. Would it kill you to live a little?" she interrupted.

"Well no, I guess not. What did you have in mind?"

"Hmm, well there is this one place I've always wanted to go and check out. It's supposedly forbidden, so forbidden in fact that even Krul herself can't go inside."

"I'm pretty sure that Krul can go wherever she wants Scarlett."

"Yeah, well not this place." She said with a pout.

"Okay then what is this place anyway?"

"The Cave of Origin." She said spookily. (Or tried to at least.)

"The Cave of Origin? Never heard of it." Mika's response placed the red-headed vampire in a state of confusion.

"What do you mean you haven't heard of it!? Every vampire has heard of The Cave of Origin! It's the place where the first vampire came from!" She explained to no effect.

"Nope. Still not ringing a bell."

Scarlett sighed heavily. "You don't get out much, do you?"

"What?"

"Nothing. So what do you say we go check it out?" She said enthusiastically. In any other scenario, Mikaela would have said no, but seeing how happy (and close) she was, he couldn't help but agree to tag along. Without missing a step, the girl jumped to her feet and motioned for Mika to follow her. Since backing out was no longer an option, Mika rose to his feet and moved directly behind the red headed vampire. When she darted to the next alleyway at blinding speed the blue-eyed vampire rubbed the back of his neck and sighed deeply.

 _"_ _The things I get myself into."_ He thought to himself as he did his best to catch up with Scarlett.

 ** _Shadowridge Guren's Office 3 days later…_**

"What? You're sending us on a mission now!" Yuichiro yelled. The green-eyed teen wasn't particularly thrilled about leaving a certain purple-haired teammate behind, especially after Guren failed to do anything after he met up with him and told him his theory about the true nature behind Shinoa's condition.

"I have to agree sir, Kimizuki hasn't even been discharged from the hospital. Our squad just isn't ready to go on missions yet." Mitsuba added in. Surprisingly, Guren actually agreed with the two teens.

"What? If you agree then why send us then?" Yuichiro asked. The commander didn't reply right away but instead rose from his desk and walked over to where his cursed gear was laying. He casually picked it up and brought it back over to his desk before sitting down.

"Can you three tell me what that is?" Guren asked simply.

"Umm that's your cursed gear sir." Yoichi said, a little confused at what the commander was getting at.

"That is correct! Yuichiro, what's special about this 'cursed gear'." Guren turned his attention to the katana wielder and awaited a response.

"It's a black demon series. So? What are you getting at?" Yuichiro said with his arms crossed.

"What I am getting at Yuichiro, is the problem that's affecting your teammate, Shinoa."

"You mean you figured out what's wrong with her?" Yu said, this time more interested in the conversation.

"Not necessarily, but we do have a theory. So when you came and told us about her condition we ran some tests and found that what you were saying was in fact true. She is completely responsive, even in her comatose state. However, she still can't wake up. We believe the reason for that is because since her contract with her former demon was broken, her body was shut down due to the shock of losing something that was so integrated with her." Guren informed.

"So what you are saying is, if she makes a contract with another demon then she'd be okay?" Mitsuba said.

"Precisely." Guren answered.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get her a cursed gear and bring Shinoa back!"

"It isn't that easy Yuichiro." Guren stated.

"What do you mean?"

"Well there are two reasons that just getting her another cursed gear isn't going to work. One, with us being cut off from the Hiragi's and their supplies we don't necessarily have spare cursed gear just laying around. With that being said we did have a few and when we attempted to initiate the contract process, Shinoa's body rejected the demon. So we ran another test. Turns out the demon we _thought_ was lost after the possession is very much still active in her body. Having lost control over her mind, the demon now controls her body. In essence it is keeping her from waking up."

"Well how do we get it out?" Yu asked.

"That's the thing, we don't know how. We do however, have a theory. The three cursed gear that we did try all held demons that equaled or were less powerful than the demon that controls Shinoa's body. With that being said, if we were to introduce perhaps a black demon series leveled spirit into Shinoa's body then maybe it would 'exercise' the other demon. There are two problems though. Given our current state, we don't just have a demon series leveled weapon just lying around. The second issue is that since we have effectively pissed off the spirit in Shinoa's body, it is now trying to kill her." He stopped speaking and let those words sink in with the remaining members of the Shinoa squad.

"Okay, how do we stop it?" Yuichiro said more calm than usual.

"Since Shinoa is still in a comatose state and still responsive, we still have some time. In her current situation, that gives us about a week before the demon fully overtakes her body and stops her heart. Now that you know your teammate's current disposition, I'm sure you understand why this mission requires the utmost urgency. So are any of you still opposed of going on this mission?"

"Of course not. We'll do anything to save her. Right guys?" Mitsuba spoke first.

"Right." Yoichi and Yuichiro answered in unison.

"Good. So now comes the part where I tell you about your mission. As you already know, we do not have a black demon series weapon in our possession and that definitely poses a problem because we can't just waltz back into the Hiragi's base of operations and steal one. There is one solution however, and it's a bit far-fetched but it's the only choice we have. Have any of you ever heard of the Seven Weapons of Origin?" When the three members of the Shinoa squad failed to say anything, Guren received his answer. "Thought so. Well to make a long story short, the Seven Weapons of Origin were the first weapons ever to be imbued with the power of a demon. Historically speaking, these weapons are thousands of years older than our cursed gear and are thought to be extremely powerful. Turns out that humanity has had its fair share of encounters with vampires, if those weapons signify anything. Anyways, most of the weapons have been lost to time and no one really knows where they are. Lucky for us however, I happen to know where one is located."

"But how? You just said no one knew where they were located." Mitsuba said.

"I've had lots of time to research these things Mitsuba. Being the head of the Moon Demon Company definitely had its perks." Guren said with a proud smile.

"Okay that's great and all, but where do we find it?" Yu said impatiently.

"Good question kid. You guys are heading to a small village north of here. When you get there you'll have to find a hidden path, but don't worry I have the information you'll need to find it. From that hidden path you'll traverse a network of caves until you reach some ruins from ancient Japan. The weapon you guys are searching for will be located somewhere within those ruins." Guren informed.

"That's it? Sounds easy enough." Yuichiro started.

"I wasn't finished. I've known the location for this weapon for a while now and as you probably could have guessed, this isn't the first time I've sent someone to those ruins. I've sent three squads in total and none of them have ever returned. Since they were more than prepared for the mission at hand, the cold definitely wasn't what got to them. Something or someone is up there and it isn't just going to hand over that weapon. Normally, I wouldn't be sending you on such a dangerous mission, but given our current circumstances we really don't have much of a choice. I'd send you guys some reinforcements, but being that we are so limited on manpower that also is unfortunately not an option. I would even go myself, but I have other matters that I need to take care of, so it is here where I have to ask you guys; are you absolutely sure that you want to do this?"

"Are you kidding? Of course we are sure! Shinoa's life is on the line. We are going to those ruins and one way or another we are _ **all**_ coming back with that weapon. Nothing is going to get in our way." Yuichiro said whilst slamming his hand on Guren's desk. The commander couldn't help but smile. For a bunch of kids they sure had plenty of spirit.

"Glad to hear it. Then if we are all set, you guys set off first thing tomorrow. Be at the center of town at the break of dawn tomorrow. There will be a transport truck waiting to take you to the village. From that point on you guys are on your own. I've also decided to modify your outfits for this mission. You'll find that they've already been delivered to your rooms. I believe that's everything. Best of luck to you three, because if anyone can pull this off it's you. Dismissed."

"Sir!" The trio said in unison before departing Guren's office.

"Well I guess I'll see you all tomorrow then!" Yuichiro said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned to leave. The green-eyed teen stepped outside into a cool breeze. The sun was sitting high in the sky, illuminating their little town from end to end. People were moving about the newly developed market, exchanging goods for fresh meat and other odd trinkets. Gazing on at the commotion going on around him, Yuichiro felt like that for once things were actually somewhat normal. Sure they were hiding from the J.I.D.A and they were engaged in a constant struggle with the vampires, but seeing the people of Shadowridge smiling and going about their daily business made the apocalypse look like a thing of the past. Yu wandered about for some time, engaging in random activities and conversations before finally resigning back to his room. The first thing he noticed when he walked in was the snow-patterned outfit that was lying on his bed. _"_ _This must be the outfit that Guren was talking about."_ Essentially it was their plain old JIDA uniforms, just spotted white and grey to better blend in to a snowy environment. Guren did go the extra mile though in having the development team sew in a special hood that was designed to keep their heads warm. He grabbed the outfit off of his bed and hung it neatly in his closet. Since Yu had nothing else he could really do for the day, he hopped into his bed and pondered Asuramaru's offer. It had been three days since he last spoke with the former vampire and he still hadn't reached a decision.

 ** _Flashback Yuichiro's subconscious three nights ago…_**

 _"_ _Well if you wanted, I could technically turn you into a vampire, well kind of anyways." Asuramaru said._

 _"_ _What do you mean kind of?"_

 _"_ _I'm not really a vampire anymore, I'm a demon remember? So I got to thinking, that if I were to give you some of my blood then maybe it'd have an effect similar to that of a vampire giving a human their blood. It really isn't guaranteed that it'll do anything, but if it does in fact work out I can tell you that you'll be twice as strong. I mean you saw what you could do with the power of a demon. You went toe-to-toe with a vampire!"_

 _"_ _Alright, but what's in it for you? You aren't one to just give power away freely. There has to be a price." Although the offer sounded genuine, Yu knew better than to just trust a demon._

 _"_ _To be honest I do have another motive. It's that Seraph part of you. The more power you draw from it, the more it feeds off of you. It's already claimed at least thirty-percent of your humanity. I figured if I gave you my blood then at least I can guarantee that fifty percent of you will not be taken."_

 _"_ _How do you know that? Sounds to me you just want a piece of my humanity to call your own."_

 _"_ _Seraph's normally do not attack vampires. Their main targets are humans. Don't ask me why. It's true. So I figured that because I was a former vampire, my blood would stop its influence from completely taking you over. Besides I hate angels, more so than humans. I'd much rather have you controlling me than a damned Seraph."_

 _"_ _Okay then, let's say for a second that you're right. What do I get from taking in your blood?"_

 _"_ _I won't lie to you, it will cost you your humanity, but at least in this way you will still be in control of your own body. If my theory is correct then not only will you be stronger, but you'll also be faster too. Your mind will be able to process things instantly, enhancing your reflexes greatly. I know you are worried that you are going to have a thirst for human blood, but rest assured I can guarantee that you won't ever develop that trait."_

 _"_ _How?"_

 _"_ _Simple. I am no longer a vampire. Look when I said that I could turn you into a vampire, I meant more that I can transfer some of my demonic abilities to you." Asuramaru clarified._

 _"_ _Isn't that what we are doing already though?" Yu asked._

 _"_ _In a way yes, but you have to ask me for my power and in turn I can only give you so much power at a time. This way you'll_ _ **always**_ _have a small portion of my power at your disposal. There will be certain moments when I'd have to loan you the rest of my power, but by sharing blood you are permanently granted certain abilities that you would never have if you were just human. Look I am looking out for both of us here, alright? If you lose yourself to the Seraph then it is game over for the both of us! I don't want that, so I'm making you this offer as a form of security."_

 _"_ _Well you definitely make a good point, but I'm not really sure. It is a lot to think about. It is my humanity we are discussing here. I'll get back to you in a couple of days. Later Asuramaru." Yu left his own subconscious in a hurry. Any longer and he actually might have gone through with the former vampire's plan. When he came to in Shinoa's room he wasn't surprised to find the petite girl snuggled up next to him. She looked peaceful. Seeing as how he told Asuramaru he'd come back with the decision in a few days he laid back down next to Shinoa and caught up on some much needed sleep._

 ** _End Flashback…_**

With Shinoa's life now hanging in the balance and a dangerous mission on the horizon, Asuramaru's offer suddenly sounded like possibly the best idea in the world. There was no telling what awaited them in the mountains and with their squad down two members, they needed any advantage they could get.

 _"_ _Asuramaru?"_

 _"_ _What is it?"_

 _"_ _I'm ready to become a demon."_

A/N: And that's a wrap! So I've decided that after this arc to work in the time skip. As you can see things are about to get pretty serious in Japan. What is the Cave Of Origins? What's guarding the weapon hidden in the Ancient Japanese ruins? All good questions that will be answered in time! To Ryujomaru15 and I am glad that you are enjoying the story and I thank you and everyone else for your reviews! So I'm going to be introducing a couple of OC's in these next couple of chapters, one of which is Scarlett, and whether or not she stays depends entirely upon you guys! As always if any of you have **_any_** ideas, suggestions, comments, questions, and/or concerns feel free to shoot me a PM or leave a review. Until next time Seraphans, Frosty out!


	7. Chapter 7: Into the Abyss

Disclaimer: I do not own **_Seraph of the End or any of its characters._**

"Speech"

 _"_ _Thoughts"_

Chapter 7: Into the Abyss

Sanguinem was a relatively quiet place. After all, the fangs weren't known for their camaraderie. To Scarlett however, that hardly meant anything as she dashed through the muggy and gloomy streets of the underground city. If vampires knew how to have a good time, then this fiery redhead would definitely be the life of the party. A fact that Mika soon became aware of as he chased after her in their quest to discover the secrets that were hidden within The Cave of Origin.

"Hurry it up slowpoke, we're almost there!" She called back as she disappeared around another alleyway. The blonde vampire grunted in response and picked up the pace to avoid being left behind. He didn't know why he agreed to tag along and he really regretted in doing so. Even with his vampire abilities, Mikaela was winded. Following this girl was more tiring than eliminating an entire battalion of J.I.D.A soldiers. When he rounded the same corner that his guide disappeared behind, he was surprised to see that she wasn't there.

 _"_ _What the? I was right behind her! Where did she go?"_ he thought. Seemingly able to hear his thoughts, Scarlett called from up above on a nearby roof.

"Up here Mika!" She waved at him. "Come on, hurry! We can see the cave from here." She said. The blue-eyed vampire just sighed and proceeded to climb his way up the building. Once on top, Mika found Scarlett peering over the rooftop's railing at what he presumed was The Cave of Origins.

"That's the cave?" Mikaela asked.

"Yup! Crazy huh? It's so—"

"Looks more like a giant hole in the ground than a cave. Are you sure that's the place?"

"Trust me, that's the cave. You think that they just post guards at any old cave?"

"Guards?" Mika said as he took a better look over the giant hole in the ground. Posted all around the cave were dozens of vampires that were outfitted in armor that he'd never seen before. From the look of the whole setup he noticed that something wasn't right. He just couldn't put his finger on it though. "Scarlett? How the hell did you know where to find this place?" he asked suspiciously.

"By going out obviously, which is clearly something that you don't do. You'd be surprised at what you could find if you actually got out once in a while." She answered simply.

"Sanquinem isn't exactly filled with tourist destinations Scarlett, so sorry if I am not keen on exploring this dump." Mika shot back.

"How would you know? You just can't say that about a place you know nothing about!" she defended.

"How do you know I know nothing about Sanguinem?" Mikaela said.

"You didn't even know what the Cave of Origin was!" She pointed out.

"Good point. Still doesn't change anything"

"Yeah, yeah okay. So how do you propose we get past those guards?" Scarlett changed the subject.

"You want me to come up with a plan? This whole thing was your idea in the first place! Why do I have to be the one to get us into the cave?" He complained.

"You don't have to do anything genius, I was just asking for your opinion. I swear Mikaela you have to be the most boring guy that I've ever met. You think that a vampire with blue eyes would be a little more fun than—"

"Wait, what? My eyes are blue?" Mika interrupted.

"You're joking right?" Scarlett said quizzically.

"Well I can't necessarily just go and look into a mirror now can I?"

"I guess you're right. Still, you never knew that your eyes were blue?"

"Well I knew that they were blue when I was still a human. Since I've been here though, every vampire I've seen has always had red eyes, so I just assumed that when I was turned my eyes had become red too." Mikaela explained.

"You were a human?" Scarlett asked. Mikaela noticed that her entire body language had changed after the question. Gone was the cheery and carefree attitude that Mika was just starting to get the hang of and in came a look of sheer discomfort. Deciding to tread carefully in his current situation the blonde haired vampire decided to lie.

"Yes, but that was a very long time ago."

"Oh. So you mean that all this time no one has ever said anything about your eyes?" When Mika saw Scarlett relax a little he breathed a mental sigh of relief. As much as it might have pained him to say, the former human was beginning to grow fond of the red-headed girl. She had a fire in her that he hadn't seen in anyone for a long time. Truth be told, without Yu and the rest of his family he lived a pretty lonely life. He never grew close to anyone, save for Krul, but that was more out of necessity then anything. Scarlett was the first real relationship he'd ever had with anyone since he lost his brothers and sisters from the Hyakuya Orphanage and he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that.

"Now that you mention it, some of the other vampires have called me Blue, but I never understood why. Knowing now that my eyes have been blue this whole time, the nickname suddenly makes sense." He answered.

"Blue?" she laughed. "That's a funny nickname."

"Huh? What's funny about it?" Mika asked in confusion. As far as he was concerned, blue was just a color. Nothing more and nothing less.

"You like to mope. The nickname fits! Ha ha! You're always blue!" Scarlett couldn't hold in her giggling any longer and let loose. Seeing her laughing the way she was the blue-eyed vampire couldn't help but join in himself, even if he was the subject of the joke. After the duo calmed down and regained their composure, Scarlett leapt to her feet and gestured over to the Cave of Origin. "So _Blue_ , what do you say we get to the bottom of that cave?" she smiled deviously and wiggled an eyebrow at Mika.

"You have a plan now, _Red?_ "

"Ah! Clever!" she giggled. "And I may have a plan. Just depends if you're willing to _help_ me put it into action." She smiled once more, causing the normally stoic blondie to blush ever so slightly.

"Well I didn't come all of this way just to walk away now. Besides, I'm a little curious to see how you are going to go about this." Mika said with crossed arms. Scarlett turned away from Mikaela and looked to the Cave of Origin once again. To Mikaela she looked like she was taking everything in, analyzing every possible means of getting to the bottom of that dark pit. Even the underground city had a cool breeze blowing through it. With a slight shiver, (whether out of excitement or because of the biting cold of the wind was anyone's guess) Scarlett spoke up:

"Well, you see _Blue,_ I was kinda thinking that it'd go a little something like—"

 ** _Moments before dawn…_**

Standing in Shinoa's room with the same rhythmic beeping of a certain infernal machine was Yuichiro. In just a few minutes, the green-eyed teen would be departing on what could possibly be the most crucial mission of his life. A quest that would decide the fate of the girl that he was slowly beginning to fall in love with. Even in the darkness of the night, Yu could see the purple haired girl clear as day, a feat that was surely made possible by his newfound demonic abilities. Yuichiro made his way to her bed as quietly as possible, like he was afraid that he would wake her up if he was too loud. (Something that he wouldn't have minded.) Seeing Shinoa sleeping as peacefully as she was would have made anyone doubt that she was ever in a comatose state. Hell, she looked like she could wake up any minute. Yu gently took hold of Shinoa's hand and was instantly put at ease by its warmth. "Shinoa, if you're awake and can hear me… I'm going to be leaving on a mission here soon. It's kind of a big deal. Very important actually. Yoichi, Mitsuba, and I are going to get something that's supposed to make you feel better. It's a little crazy, sending just a three man team but you know that Kimizuki would just slow us down." He joked. "I'm only kidding. If I am being honest, I am actually a little worried. The team just isn't the same without the two of you. I guess that's the reason the three of us are going on this mission in the first place, to bring you back. Still, I know that we can do it. I just have this feeling… no… I don't…" Yuichiro paused. "I can't lose you, Shinoa. I can't. So… I'm going to make you a promise. Yoichi, Mitsuba, and me, will be back in three days' time. You won't have to wait much longer now." Just as he was wrapping up his speech, the first ray of light burst through Shinoa's hospital room. "Guess that's my cue. I'll see you soon… Shinoa." Feeling the reassuring squeeze of the hand that proved that Shinoa had heard every word that he said, Yuichiro smiled and leaned forward to plant a kiss on her forehead. With one final squeeze to signal his goodbye, Yu left the comatose girl's room. He exited the hospital with only one thought on his mind: to do everything in his power to save the girl he loved.

The sun itself was barely beginning to peek over the horizon and with his heightened senses, the brightness of the giant fireball irritated him. As a matter of fact, his new demonic abilities were proving to be more of a nuisance then they were useful. The memory of the night before slowly started to play again in Yu's head as he recalled the night he became a demon.

 ** _Flashback…_**

 _"_ _Really? Are you sure that you want to go through with the transformation?" Asuramaru asked._

 _"_ _Yes. I am sure." Yu answered confidently. He knew that this decision was for the best. His humanity to guarantee his squad mates safety. A small price to pay to keep the people he values most safe, at least that's what he told himself._

 _"_ _Yuichiro, once this is done there is no going back. Are you really sure that you want to go through with this?" Asuramaru asked once more to be sure. Normally he'd have jumped at the fact that his host was game to go through with his suggestion, but after reflecting on it for some time he realized the dangers of his plan._

 _"_ _Damn it Asuramaru, yes! I am ready to become a demon! To protect the people I love and to protect you as well!" Yuichiro yelled impatiently. In truth, Yuichiro was still contemplating whether or not to go through with the plan. A part of him was afraid of the repercussions that could arise by giving up his humanity. What if he lost control or what if he became an actual demon himself? Would his friends still treat him the same? These questions and more were just a few of the worries that plagued the young teenager's mind, but he knew deep down that there was just no other way. He had to go through with this, no matter the risk to him. Asuramaru could feel the conflicting emotions that emanated from his master and decided that he would do as Yu asked. If a demon is what he wanted to become, then Asuramaru would turn him into the most powerful one of all if he could. Never before had anyone been willing to protect him. Not even Krul. Yet Yuichiro, a teen he had tormented with nightmares from the moment he signed the contract with him, was willing to go through a transformation to protect him from the Seraph that was struggling to break free. He never could understand humans, nor did he ever want to, but at that moment the former vampire decided that he too would do whatever it took to defend Yuichiro. Leaping from atop the katana he loved to stand on, Asuramaru grabbed the blade and in one swift movement cut himself in the middle of his forearm._

 _"_ _Alright then. If this is what you truly want Yuichiro, then come and drink." Asuramaru said as he offered his bleeding arm out for his host. Yu stepped forward, albeit very hesitantly._

 _"_ _Damn it! No! What's wrong with me!? I can do this!" Yu thought as he struggled with his own body. It was like every part of him was screaming not to go through with this plan. "AAAHH!" Yuichiro exclaimed as he seized control of himself and lurched forward. He grabbed hold of Asuramaru's arm. The cut was dripping a steady stream of blood, so much so that much of the vampire's forearm was covered in the thick red liquid._

 _"_ _Could you hurry it up? This isn't exactly fun for me you know." Asuramaru said. The dumbfounded Yuichiro realized that he still hadn't found it within himself to go through with the transformation. He was just standing there gawking at all of the spilled blood._

 _"_ _Asuramaru, I'm sorry but I—" Yuichiro didn't get to finish his sentence as the vampire in question suddenly moved his bleeding arm right into Yu's open mouth._

 _"_ _Sorry Yuichiro, but if I didn't do it then you never would have. I was tired of waiting." Asuramaru said as Yu got a mouthful of the blood that he was so hesitant to drink. After several moments, the former vampire moved his arm away from his master's mouth and quickly healed himself. When he looked up he saw his master standing there, face covered in blood, mouth open clutching his throat. "Yu!?" Asuramaru moved to help, but there was little that he could do for him._

 _Yuichiro reeled back, gasping for breath. Everything was spinning and his whole body felt like it was on fire. All he knew was that these sensations were the result of whatever was coming from his throat. He clutched at it, did whatever he could to stop the flow of the foreign substance that was beginning to invade his body. His attempts proved useless however, as the pain didn't cease and the feeling in his throat was no longer present. The transformation had begun. Immediately Yu collapsed to the floor and began to writhe around in sheer agony. Yuichiro began to hallucinate, seeing his body start to go up in flames. He screamed and watched in sheer horror as his skin began to char and the feeling of hell's very own flames began to consume him. Then all of a sudden, the flames vanished and he was back to normal with not a scratch on him. His pain however, was still far from over. His head was suddenly assaulted by a loud ringing noise, so loud that he tried to cover his ears to lessen the ringing's effects. Unfortunately that proved useless as well as the ringing only grew louder and louder, driving the poor teen to the brink of insanity but just like the flames, as soon as it came it was just as quickly gone. The next part of Yu to receive punishment was his stomach, as he felt like someone was dragging a hot iron over it. He tore off his shirt to get a better look at what was causing him such pain and was greeted by an eerie black cloud that was funneling into to his belly button. As the foreign body forced its way in Yuichiro felt the piercing cold steel of a sword slicing into him. The pain was so great that he wanted to pass out, but he couldn't for he had to see this through to the end. With newfound resolve, the katana wielder fought past his suffering and rose to his feet. "I… can… do this…" he told himself. The ache in his stomach stopped and for a few moments Yuichiro didn't feel anything. He was beginning to think that he'd survived the ordeal when his final test began. Yu howled in torment as he felt like he was being stretched and crushed at the exact same time. His entire body had went into a fit of convulsions to try and combat his current state of being. Yuichiro couldn't take it anymore. He could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness. "I…. can't do it… I wasn't… strong… enough." Was the last thought to cross his mind as he finally gave in to his body's demands._

 _Asuramaru shook his master frantically. As soon as Yu drank the blood he passed out in a heap on the floor and was completely unresponsive. Nothing he tried was working and the more time had passed, the smaller his subconscious would become. Yuichiro was dying and it was all because of his stupid suggestion. "Yuichiro… you can do this… you can't die… not like this… DAMN IT YUICHIRO! WAKE UP! DO YOU HEAR ME!? WAKE UP!" Asuramaru pounded his host's chest in frustration. Just when the vampire turned demon's world was about to be swallowed in darkness, Yu coughed and stirred. "Yuichiro! You're alive!" The teen who'd been through hell itself sat up slowly and looked around._

 _"_ _Yeah… why wouldn't I be? Why is it so dark in here and why do I feel like I just got hit by a train?" Yu reached for his head just as the darkness began to recede. He couldn't recall anything. The last thing he remembered was Asuramaru plunging his bleeding arm into his mouth. Everything after that was a blank. He turned his attention to the now sitting Asuramaru and was puzzled by the look he was giving him. "Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"_

 _"_ _Well I think that you'd be happy to know that you survived the transformation."_

 _"_ _What? I did? Wait, how do you know?"_

 _"_ _When you first looked at me Yuichiro, your eyes were completely red." The demon informed._

 _"_ _Red!? So I'm like one of the fangs now!?" Yu suddenly stood up in anger._

 _"_ _Calm down, you aren't a vampire. I said your eyes_ _ **were**_ _red. They aren't anymore, well not entirely at least."_

 _"_ _What do you mean, 'not entirely'?"_

 _"_ _The red in your eyes started to recede, revealing your normal emerald green eyes. However, the red didn't disappear completely. Now your green eyes are complimented by a reddish tint. To anyone else your eyes will just be the plain old green ones that you've always had, but to vampires, demons, and yourself you'll be able to see the red clear as day. That's just the result of your heightened senses." The former vampire explained._

 _"_ _Heightened senses? So this whole transformation was just so that I could see and smell better!?" Yu exclaimed._

 _"_ _No you idiot. All five of your senses are three times as powerful as the normal humans. Your sight allows you to see in complete darkness as well as things that the normal eye could never pick up. Your sense of smell allows you to track enemies by their scent and although it isn't as powerful as a vampire's it could definitely give you an edge. You also have the hearing of a hawk and now that that brain of yours can process things instantly, your reflexes have increased greatly. Not to mention your strength rivals that of a vampire. That doesn't mean you should go and try to fight a noble one and one, but if you ever find yourself without me in battle, know that your fists are capable weapons themselves. Your speed has also increased, but you won't find yourself outrunning any vampires any time soon. In close quarters combat though, they definitely will have a hard time getting the jump on you."_

 _"_ _Awesome! Is that all or is there more?" Yuichiro asked._

 _"_ _Well this is the first time that I've ever turned someone into a half-demon, so I guess that we are just going to have to wait and see. All I know are the immediate effects of the transformation." Asuramaru informed._

 _"_ _I see. Well that answers one question. I'm still trying to understand why I feel like I've been through hell itself."_

 _"_ _If it's anything like when I became a demon, trust me it is better that you don't remember."_

 _"_ _Why is that?"_

 _"_ _It sucks. Unimaginable pain. Not something I'd even wish upon my worst enemy. To be honest, I thought that you were going to die. Everything was beginning to grow dark and you were completely unresponsive. If I had to guess, that whole time you were out cold you were probably dealing with an excruciating amount of pain."_

 _"_ _How long was I out?"_

 _"_ _By the time standards of humans, I'd say you were unconscious for about eight hours or so."_

 _"_ _Eight hours? That means it's about four in the morning right now. Listen Asuramaru, I need to get going, but we will talk again soon. I promise. Thanks, for being by my side and for giving me this power. You'll never understand just how much this means to me. I owe you one! Until next time!" Yuichiro called as he left his subconscious._

 _When he came to in his room, he was instantly assaulted by hundreds of smells and blinded by the vividness of his surroundings. His senses were so overwhelmed that Yu developed a slight headache as he tried to get accustomed to everything. "Jeez. No wonder vampires like to live in dark places. This is almost too much!" he thought to himself. Despite the way he was feeling, Yu stumbled about the room packing his gear for the mission he was to embark on soon. When he finished that he grabbed his favorite jacket and threw on some pants and boots before leaving his room. "4:35. I've still got some time before dawn. Perfect." He thought as he exited the school dorms and went in the direction of the hospital._

 ** _End Flashback…_**

When he arrived at the town square, he wasn't surprised to see Yoichi already there waiting. "How long have you been here?"

"I got here about ten minutes ago. Good morning Yu. Have you seen Mitsuba by any chance?" Yoichi said.

"Good morning and no. I haven't seen her. She's probably going to be late just like last time." Yuichiro replied.

"Oh I hope not. It's too cold for that!"

"You've got that right! So Yoichi, I've got to ask, are you and Mitsuba like a—thing?"

"Wha—wha—what!? Why would you ask something like that!?" Since Yoichi's face was already red, courtesy of the cold, there was no way that Yuichiro could tell that he was blushing. The way he was acting however, was a sign to the half-demon that he was onto something.

"Relax man! It's just a question. I was just wondering. You two seem to spend an awful lot of time together nowadays. I thought that maybe quiet little Yoichi busted a move!"

"Oh yeah—well—why do you spend so much time with Shinoa? Do you like her or something?" Yoichi said somewhat defensively.

"Whoa! Easy there bow boy. I was just joking around, but if you must know… Yes. I do like Shinoa." Yu admitted. Yoichi's eyes went wide at the revelation, but he stayed quiet. "Alright, so you got me to confess now it's only fair that you do the same. What's the deal between—"

"Between what? And what did you confess Yu?" Mitsuba said from behind the green eyed teen. Yu instantly sent a glare over to Yoichi that practically screamed 'say a word about what I told you and I'll kill you.'

"I—uh—it was nothing! Right Yoichi?" Yuichiro elbowed his comrade in the ribs to follow along. The last thing he wanted was for Mitsuba to know how he felt about their purple haired team mate. The bow user got the hint and nodded his head in agreement.

"What? Oh come on! We are all team mates here! I want to know!" Mitsuba whined.

"Really Mitsuba, it was nothing. Guy stuff. Nothing you want to know." Yuichiro said in an attempt to dissuade his blonde squad mate. Seeing as how they weren't going to budge on the subject, Mitsuba decided to let it slide for the time being, but she would get her answers.

"Fine. So, have you guys heard anything from Guren?" she asked.

"Yeah, actually I have." Yoichi spoke up.

"Really? Well what did he say?" Yuichiro asked as he took a seat on one of the nearby benches.

"Nothing really. I bumped into him yesterday as I was walking around town. He just said that he wished that things weren't so difficult and that he wished us the best on our mission. Oh he also told me that when we do get to the abandoned town that we are searching for an abandoned well. Says the entrance to the cave network is there."

"A well? Really?" Mitsuba said.

"Yeah. He says that the well is all dried up and everything. He also mentioned that the entrance to our specific cave network isn't at the bottom of the well, but actually somewhere in the middle." Yoichi continued.

"That's great and all but did he say anything about when the transport truck would be here? I'm freezing my ass off here!" Yuichiro complained.

"That's your own fault for not putting on something warmer! You knew that we were going to be in the snow!" Mitsuba pointed out.

"Yeah, well I didn't think we were going to be waiting this long, okay?" Yuichiro defended.

"Guys…" Yoichi said softly.

"What's up?" Mitsuba answered first.

"Yeah, what's wrong man?"

"Are either of you worried about this mission? I mean I know that we are doing this to save Shinoa, but I can't help but feel like something is going to go wrong. I don't know… forget I said anything." Yoichi said weakly. Nobody answered right away, as they all silently agreed that they were indeed nervous. A three-man squad in the middle of nowhere sent to capture an ancient and powerful weapon that three other squads failed to do. They knew full well that the odds were stacked against them, but the life of their friend depended on the success of their quest.

"I won't lie to you guys, I had a similar feeling as well. Truth be told I didn't know if we'd be able to pull it off, but then I remembered that I was a member of the Shinoa squad. As long as I have you two watching my back I'm sure that we'll be just fine. After all we did manage to fend off Crowley and Shinoa herself back in Nagoya. Let's face it, we're just bonafide badasses and nothing is going to get in our way. Whatever is guarding the Weapon of Origin better watch out, because they are going to have to deal with us. So don't worry too much you two, I think we are going to be fine. We're going to get to that village, find that well, kick some ass, and be back in three days' time to see Shinoa recover from her coma!" Yuichiro said.

"Hell yeah!" Mitsuba exclaimed.

"Yeah, you're right." Yoichi said feeling a little better about their mission.

"Well, would you look at that? Our ride is here!" Yuichiro said as he heard the engine of the truck approaching.

"What? No its not. I don't see anything." Mitsuba said while Yoichi nodded his head in agreement.

"Of course it is! I can hear its engine running now. It won't be long before it gets here."

"You sure?"

"Yes Mitsuba, I'm sure." Yuichiro answered as he grabbed his things and took his place in between his two squad mates. The trio said nothing as they all patiently waited for the transport truck that was to be the first step in their journey to save their friend.

 ** _Sanquinem three days earlier…_**

"And that's the plan! Did you get all of that or do I need to go through it one more time?" Scarlett said enthusiastically.

"Umm, I don't think that's going to work." Mika shot the poor girl's plans down.

"Of course it will! You just have to believe!" She tried to argue, but Mikaela just shook his head.

"Scarlett, we can't just walk right in. There is a reason those guards are there. Being nice and asking for admittance just isn't the way to handle this." The blonde vampire explained.

"I guess you have a point. Okay, then how do we deal with the guards then?"

"Hmm, do you still have that small handkerchief that you used to wipe the blood from my face?" Mikaela asked.

"I do. What do you need it for?" She asked suspiciously.

"Give it to me, we can distract the guards with it." Mika explained. Unbeknownst to Mikaela, Scarlett wasn't too keen on handing over her handkerchief. Something about the scent of his blood was captivating to her and now that she was being asked to part with it was causing her a great deal of stress. "Well? What are you waiting for?" he said impatiently. Scarlett reluctantly reached into her back pocket to grab the blood soaked cotton square.

"Here." She said grumpily. Scarlett wouldn't even look Mikaela in the eye as she waited for him to take her prized possession away.

"Jeez what's gotten into you?" Mika said as he noticed the change in attitude. He decided not to pursue the issue further and realized that they were going to need more blood if his plan was going to work. "Damn, the scent isn't strong enough." He said. The blonde vampire made a small cut over his wrist and slowly let the blood trickle out and onto the handkerchief. The spectacle drove Scarlett wild. The strong aroma of Mika's blood didn't do her any favors either. "There. That should be enough to get their noses going. It should give us the opening we need to sneak in. You ready?" Mikaela asked as he healed his wound and wadded up the small hanky. It took several moments for Scarlett to respond as she was still entranced by the event that just transpired.

"Yeah—uh—let's go!" she finally said. This time, Mikaela took the lead as they snuck from building to building with careful precision. They didn't want to be caught so close to their objective. Mikaela also took great care not to get too close to the vampire's patrolling Krul's castle. If they smelled the handkerchief then they were as good as caught. He did find it odd that the cave was so close to her residence, but for the time being he didn't think too much of it. He was too busy focusing on what route to take to avoid the patrolling guards. When they were about a hundred feet out from the mouth of the monstrous cave, Mika hurled the handkerchief off into the air where it landed with a dull 'splat'. Mikaela's improvised plan worked when the two guards maintaining close watch over the cave caught the scent of fresh blood and moved to find the source of it. With a path now clear to the center of the cave, the duo wasted no time in crossing the distance to reach their destination. Once there however, Mika began to have second thoughts after peering down into the dark abyss.

"Umm, I'm not so sure jumping down there is a good idea Scarlett." He said.

"You're kidding right? We did not come all this way to just chicken out now! I gave up my favorite handkerchief for this!"

"I'll get you another one." Mika said in an attempt to back his way out of their current situation.

"Yes you will and you will also be jumping with me."

"No I won't." he answered.

"Don't be such a bitch!" she exclaimed a bit too loudly as the guards turned around and saw them.

"Hey! Stop and get away from the edge of the cave! Hands where we can see them!" One of the guards called as he drew his sword.

"Oh, well no choice now. Down we go, Blue!" Scarlett said as she stepped off the edge.

"Wait! What are you—' _damn it all'_ " Mika said as he was dragged into the mouth of the cave, courtesy of his red headed friend. The blonde haired vampire was plunged into darkness as he continued his descent in the Cave of Origin. Even with his heightened vampire senses, he couldn't make out a thing in the pitch blackness of the cave. All he could hear was Scarlett's ecstatic screams of joy as the duo fell towards whatever was lying at the bottom of the cave. _"_ _So this is how it ends. I fell into a cave with a crazy red headed girl that I just met. Just great."_ Mika thought. After a good minute of falling, Mikaela heard a loud splash right before he too crashed into the water. He didn't come up right away though, as the strength of the current pulled him off to an unknown destination. The blonde vampire struggled to swim to the surface for air and being that he couldn't see a thing, trying to find his way up was proving to be impossible. _"_ _When I see that girl, I swear I'm going to kill her!"_ Mika thought as he tumbled about in the water. His flailing around in the current eventually worked out in his favor as he ended up getting the breath of air he needed so desperately. However his victory was short lived as he was taken under once more where he flailed about wildly once more. He didn't have to do it for much longer though, as the current suddenly slowed down and he was brought into a large cave that was illuminated by hundreds of small crystals of varying colors. He would've acknowledged the astonishing beauty of the rainbow illuminated cave, but he was too busy being angry to notice. Gathering his bearings, he swam towards a nearby embankment and pulled himself over it. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he realized that he barely survived the whole ordeal.

"Hey! Glad to see you made it Blue! That was one crazy ride, huh?" Scarlett called from the other end of the embankment.

"Ride!? I almost died! What the hell is wrong with you?" Mika said angrily as the red headed girl approached him.

"Oh don't be such a baby. It was either die in the cave or let those vampire goons catch us and die by execution in Sanguinem. You should be thanking me. I just saved your life." She shot back. Mika would've continued his argument if he hadn't laid eyes on his troublemaking friend, but unfortunately after seeing her, he lost all will to. Her clothes were completely wet and stuck to her body, outlining her figure marvelously for Mikaela. He wanted to be mad but all he could feel was his heart beginning to race. He eventually regained control of himself and rose to his feet.

"Yeah, whatever. Anyways we made it. So what do you suppose we do now?" Mika asked.

"I don't know. I didn't think we'd actually come this far. We explore I guess." She said as she led the way. Mika followed behind quietly not saying a word. He was still hung up on the fact that for the second time he was entranced by Scarlett's looks. No matter how he tried to explain the situation, he couldn't deny that he had developed feelings towards the mysterious girl. He did however, convince himself that it was no big deal and that he was in complete control. Satisfied that he'd finally come to terms with his predicament he focused all of his attention on traversing the cave. It wasn't long before Mika took point and led his partner in crime through dozens of pathways and circles as they tried searching for something that would at least point them to a way out. They caught a lucky break when Mika missed a step and fell into another hole that they'd presumed was just a pitfall.

"Mika! Are you okay?" Scarlett called.

"Yeah I'm fine!" he said as he dusted himself off.

"That's good! Can you find a way up or do you need my help?" She asked from the edge of the small hole. Mikaela looked over his surroundings and noticed that the particular cave he was in was different from the rest of the cave. The crystals were a distinct blue color and the cave he was in only had one way to go.

"Actually Scarlett, I think you should come down here and take a look. I've got a feeling that this little cave I'm in is what we've been looking for!" he said.

"Alright! I'm coming down then! Catch me!" She screamed as she leapt down.

"Wait, catch you?" he said right as she landed right on top of him. She took a look around the cave from atop the blonde vampire's back and had to agree that he was on to something.

"Hey nice catch! You really broke my fall." She said as she got up. Mika just grunted in response and rose to his feet. "Well let's see what's at the end of this cave!" Scarlett said excitedly as she sped off.

"Scarlett, wait!" Mikaela called after her, but he was too late as she was already long gone. Sighing, he jogged to catch up with her. The cave itself was long and winding, so much so that Mika was starting to think that this cave was just like the rest. Just when he was about to call out to his red-haired companion he reached the end of the cave. He came into a giant chamber-like room that was sitting high above sea of lava that stretched as far as the eye could see. Scarlett was standing right at the edge of the cave, staring off at a weird translucent object that was just floating in the middle of the room. "There you are!" Mikaela said as he finally caught up with Scarlett.

"Mikaela…"

"What's up?"

"I think we need to get out of here."

A/N: And Chapter 7 comes to an end! What's in the cave? What's going to happen to Yuichiro, Mitsuba, and Yoichi? Who knows!? (I do but I'm not tellin until the next update!) Well I hope that all you readers had a nice weekend, I spent mine doing HW, watching good old football, and of course writing this! So I have something to ask any of you creative souls out there, I am having trouble coming up with a name for Guren's army and I was wondering if any of you might have an idea or two. I also would like to thank everyone who left a review, those of you who have favorited this, and those of you that are following this story. It really does mean a lot! So without further ado… if any of you have any suggestions, ideas, questions, concerns, and/or comments please feel free to shoot me a PM or leave a review. Until next time Seraphans, Frosty out!


	8. Chapter 8: Julie

Disclaimer: I do not own **_Seraph of the End or any of its characters_**

"Speech"

 _"_ _Thoughts"_

Chapter 8: Julie

"Why?" the question to end all questions. One could ask why for just about anything and begin a never ending loop of answers that are usually unsatisfying and not very rewarding. Why? Just because. But why? I don't know. Will there ever be an answer to this age old question? Yes. No. Why? These thoughts all filled Mika's head the moment he opened his mouth to better understand why they needed to leave. They came this far and they were searching for secrets after all. Now that a mysterious looking orange orb was floating right in front of them she wanted to leave and immediately. Why? _"_ _Isn't this what we were looking for? The secret of the Cave of Origin?"_ he thought.

"Because Mika it's dangerous here! We have to go, NOW!" she said as she tugged at his sleeve. The blonde vampire wasn't moving an inch though. "Damn it Mikaela! Are you listening to a word I am saying? We need to go! This place is bad news!" Scarlett urged. The behavior that she was exhibiting was a surefire sign to the blonde vampire that something wasn't right in their situation. Normally Scarlett would jump at the thought of the unknown. So that meant two things. Either the girl tugging his sleeve was _not_ his fiery red-headed friend or the mysterious orb was not all that unknown.

"What is that orb?" he was unable to contain his interest in the floating object any longer. Scarlett however, was wishing that he'd never seen it. He couldn't help it, Mikaela was drawn to the orb like a moth to a light. It was calling to him, telling him to come and embrace its warmth. It was a comforting flame. A small little ball that could burn away all of his problems. The sphere belonged to him and he belonged to the sphere. He couldn't leave without it and he wasn't going to.

"It's nothing. Just forget that you ever saw it. Now come on, let's go!" she tried getting him to move but he remained rooted to his spot. It was hopeless and she knew it. The orange orb had Mikaela under its influence and there was nothing she could do to stop it. It wasn't going to stop her from trying though.

"No. I'm staying here—that orb it needs me." He said absently. No longer could he control his own body, as his legs developed a mind of their own and guided him to the object of his desires. Scarlett was dragged along with him, unable to prevent what was now inevitable.

"What the—Mika! Get a hold of yourself! Stop moving! Mikaela!" she yelled at her unresponsive friend. He was nothing but a zombie forced to make contact with the orb. Seeing that she was getting nowhere with Mika, she turned her attention to the root of the problem. "Damn you! Give him back! Let him go!" Scarlett leapt into the air and pulled two curved and jagged daggers seemingly out of nowhere and slashed away at the floating flame. It had no effect however, as Mikaela was still under its influence. With the only other choice being death, Scarlett decided it was time to do what she'd always been told was forbidden. She looked to the floating orb and spoke to it in a tongue that was thought to be long lost. A glowing serpent tattoo snaked its way down Scarlett's forearm and opened its fangs right at the center of her palm. Sensing its impending doom the orb shrunk down to a size so small that it was invisible to the naked eye. Then without warning it expanded, sending a heated shockwave that knocked both Scarlett and Mika off their feet. The attack didn't do much in damage but, it was enough to prevent Scarlett from putting an end to the orbs schemes. In saving its own end, the fireball relinquished control of the blonde vampire and retreated down into the sea of lava below.

Mikaela sat up dazed and confused. The only thing he could remember was seeing a light that called out to him. From it all he heard were the voices of those he'd longed to hear from most: his family. _"_ _Was I dreaming?"_ he asked himself. He gazed over his surroundings to find Scarlett lying face down in the middle of the chamber. The fact that she was hardly moving was a red flag to the blue-eyed teen as he moved to where she was laying as quickly as he could. When he got to her and turned her over in her arms he saw that she was struggling to maintain consciousness and she was breathing very heavily. "Hey! You're going to be okay, alright? Just stay with me Scarlett." He said as he shook her gently. While Mika sat there trying to figure out what to do he was oblivious to the growing presence below. He glanced over the chamber one last time and found that the only way out was the way they came in. Reaching his decision, Mika scooped Scarlett up bridal style and started walking back to the blue cave. About halfway there the red-headed vampire began to jostle about uncomfortably like she was trapped in a never ending nightmare. "Hey! Calm down! Don't worry I've got you." Mikaela said while trying to keep his hold on her. The more he tried the harder she struggled. "Scarlett! You've got to calm down!" he ordered, but she continued her constant flailing. Seeing as how he wasn't going to be getting much further, he set the girl down gently and waited to see if she would settle down. He didn't have to wait very long, as the fiery redhead soon regained consciousness and sat up uneasily. It was then that Mika noticed it. Like a tiger who'd finally had its prey right where it wanted it, Mikaela sprang into action and took hold of Scarlett's right arm. Just when he was about to indulge in his catch, she spoke up.

"Ow! Hey what the hell is wrong with you!? Haven't you ever seen a _tattoo_ before!?" The blue-eyed teen suddenly dropped her arm and was at a loss for what just transpired. The only thing that came out of his mouth was:

"Tattoo?" For reasons he couldn't explain, Mika was driven to the serpent that lined Scarlett's arm. It was like something or someone wanted him to get rid of it and he would have too, if the sound of the owner's arm didn't bring him back to reality.

"Yeah! You know a marking that people get? Usually with ink? Ring any bells!?" The way she was talking was a clear indication to Mikaela that she was annoyed. He wanted to tell her that it wasn't his fault that something was controlling him, but he doubted she would believe him. All he could muster was a half-assed apology. Truth be told he didn't have a clue as to what was going on. He didn't even remember what it was that he wanted to do before he noticed the tattoo.

 _"_ _What's wrong with me?"_ he thought.

"Helloooo! I'm talking to you! Mikaela what's going on? Are you okay?" she called to the seemingly absent vampire. The way he was acting, Scarlett began to worry that she hadn't eliminated the orb's influence from Mika. From the moment she saw the orb in the cave Scarlett knew that they were in trouble.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Listen, can we get out of here? Something about this place just doesn't feel right." He said when he finally came back to his senses.

"I couldn't agree with you more! Let's go." She answered. Just when they were about to reach the exit, the chamber began to rumble violently. "Oh no! It's coming! Mika we have to go!" Scarlett said. The red headed girl retreated into the cave in a hurry and was shocked when her blue-eyed companion wasn't following. She turned around and headed back to the chamber to find Mikaela transfixed on the tornado of lava spewing off in the distance. "Mikaela! What are you doing? We need to get out of here! NOW!" It was a weird and unfortunate case of déjà vu for Scarlett as she tugged helplessly on Mika's arm. As a result of the sudden earthquake, debris began falling from the roof of the cave, one of which nearly squashed the duo struggling to escape. With their very lives hanging in the balance Scarlett gave one last pull with all of her might. Mikaela didn't even budge as Scarlett fell backward and tumbled into the blue cave just as a giant rock shut the exit. "No! Mikaela! Damn it!" The redhead unsheathed her twin daggers and sliced away at the giant boulder with little success. She tossed her daggers aside and started punching the rock with her bare fists. No matter what she tried, Scarlett couldn't get back to Mikaela. She wanted to cry, but she wouldn't. It wasn't over yet and she'd be damned if she lost another friend to a Weapon of Origin. She'd made that mistake before. With her mind set on doing whatever it took to save Mikaela, Scarlett set off to find another route into the chamber.

On the other side of the rock Mikaela regained control of himself for the third and final time that day. _"_ _What the hell!? Where am I?"_ after a brief look at his surroundings, all of his memories of the last couple of minutes came flooding in. _"_ _Shit! Scarlett!"_ he said to himself as he looked around for his redheaded friend. When he saw the giant rock that closed off the only way out of the grand lava chamber, he came to the conclusion that she had made it out without him. _"_ _Damn it!"_ he cursed himself. He noticed that the earthquake had stopped and everything was quiet. Too quiet. He walked around the platform to see if any of the falling debris had opened up another exit and was thrilled to see that he had a way out after all. One of the falling rocks had wedged itself on the edge of the platform and the far wall, providing him a bridge to a cliff face that he could scale to another cave opening above. He clapped his hands together excitedly and headed for the makeshift ramp that was to be his escape. It was then in that heated room that Mikaela felt a chill run down his spine. He had this overwhelming feeling that he was being watched and by something very powerful. Instinctively he turned around despite his body's protests. He really wished he would've listened because there wasn't a soul behind him. _"_ _What a waste. Guess this cave's really got me spooked. Good thing I'm leaving."_ He thought. When he whipped himself back around he found out that he wasn't going anywhere. Standing right in front of his face with a vicious looking snarl and glowing red eyes, was what could only be described as the spawn of Hell itself. _"_ _Son of a—WHY!?"_

 ** _The back of a transport truck…_**

The ride up to the supposed abandoned village was not a comfortable one for Yoichi or Yuichiro. For the majority of the trip they were being thrown around the back of the truck like ragdolls, courtesy of bumpy roads and bad driving. In their current positions, the male members of the Shinoa squad looked as if they were having an intense yoga session. The duo looked like they had tried rolling backwards but got stuck halfway through their roll. If Mitsuba had seen them she surely would have died of laughter. "Damn that Mitsuba! I swear Yoichi we are finding another way down this mountain. I will be damned if I have to ride in the back of this thing again!" Yuichiro complained as he righted himself.

"Oh come on Yu, it isn't so bad." Yoichi said, still stuck in his mid-roll position.

"What do you mean it isn't so bad? Bad is exactly what this trip has been! We almost fell out twice, Yoichi. TWICE!" He responded as he helped Yoichi out of his position.

"Thanks." He said finally relieved of his uncomfortable predicament. "Okay so it's pretty bad. At least we didn't have to walk. Have you seen how snowy it is outside? We'd freeze to death out there." He pointed out.

"And we'd break our necks in here. Seriously! I really hope Mitsuba is enjoying her front seat right now because this sucks!" Yuichiro said. Yoichi just shook his head and took another seat, praying to whatever god out there that he wasn't sent flying out of it again. The rest of the ride was pretty quiet and fortunately for Yoichi and Yuichiro, smooth. When they stopped just a mile out of the village Yu couldn't have been happier to see land again. He was so happy that he made a snow angel while Yoichi and Mitsuba unloaded the small amount of gear that they'd brought with them.

"Glad to see you are having so much fun!" Mitsuba said sarcastically at Yu.

"Hey, you had it easy alright?" Yuichiro defended from his position in the snow.

"What!? No I didn't! Do you know how crazy of a driver that guy was? I swear every time he made a turn on that awful road I thought we were going to flip over and off the mountain! It was terrifying!"

"Yeah? You trying sitting in the back next time and see how you like it. It was a party back there, let me tell you. Yoichi and I almost fell out, twice! Still, I'm just glad to be out of that thing." Yu said as he grabbed his gear from Yoichi.

"You can say that again." Yoichi agreed.

"Sorry you guys had it so rough. At least we made it right? Now we're just a mile out from our AO. So let's get a move on guys! Time is ticking." Mitsuba said. Since she was the highest ranking member of the squad, Guren had made her the leader for the mission. To say she was thrilled about his decision would be an understatement. Once Mitsuba was named squad leader she took her position deadly serious. As a matter of fact, it was the whole reason she didn't even have to sit in the back with Yoichi and Yuichiro. Her exact words to them just before leaving Shadowridge were 'leaders don't sit in the back' although, up front wasn't as glamorous as she thought it would be.

"Jeez would you look at those clouds rolling in!? Doesn't look too pretty for us guys." Yoichi commented from out of nowhere.

"Yeah, wouldn't want to be caught in that storm. Let's get a move on." Yuichiro as he brought up the rear of the group. They began their journey up the mountain at a steady pace, but when the winds started to kick up because of the oncoming storm the group moved faster. If they didn't find the village and soon, they'd end up trapped in a blizzard with no sense of direction.

"Ugh! Where is this place? We should have been there by now." Mitsuba said in frustration. Her team was making good time, but the looming storm had her on edge. The last thing she wanted to do was search for their destination in low-visibility conditions.

"Hey would you look at that! It's a bird carrying another bird." Yu remarked.

"Huh? Where?" Mitsuba looked around trying to pinpoint the spectacle with no success. When she heard the snickering of Yoichi and Yuichiro, she knew that she'd been tricked.

"Ha ha very funny. Maybe instead of pointing out imaginary scenarios you two could try helping me find the village!" The blondie was clearly annoyed at being duped and with time being of the essence, she wasn't in the mood for practical jokes.

"Oh lighten up Mitsuba. According to the Intel Guren gave us it should be just up ahead. Don't worry we'll be fine." Yu reassured his teammate.

"I sure hope so." She mumbled as she followed after Yuichiro. Mitsuba was relieved when Yu proved to be right. When she reached the top with her fellow squad mates, she was just as surprised at the rest of them to see a blazing campfire near one of the long forgotten houses. "Looks like this place isn't as abandoned as Guren thought. Yoichi, search for a vantage point and see if you can get the drop on whoever is hiding out here. Yu take right and I'll take left. Regroup back here in an hour if we don't bump into each other first. Best of luck to the both of you." Having received his orders, Yuichiro set off to investigate the area that the fire was lit. The village itself was a labyrinth of houses that were tightly packed together under the cover of dozens of trees, giving whoever had set up shop in the area numerous hiding spaces to elude the members of the Shinoa squad. After inspecting the fire and its contents of food and scraps of clothing, Yu reached the conclusion that they were dealing with stragglers who were just looking for shelter. The green-eyed teen drew his katana and walked up the porch of the first house near the fire. The age old wood creaked loudly under his feet causing him to wince in annoyance.

 _"_ _How the hell am I supposed to get the drop with all of this noise!?"_ he thought. With no other choice but to proceed, Yuichiro reached for the door handle and turned it softly. The inside of the residence looked like something straight out of a horror movie. Blood stains lined the floor and walls, the furniture was scattered all about the room, and the only light came from a lone window that was wide open on the opposite side of the space. _"_ _What happened here?"_ Once in the middle of what he'd assumed used to be the living room, he noticed a set of stairs directly to his right and decided to take those first. He readied his katana and was thankful that the floorboards didn't creak when he walked over them. When he finally climbed the last step he was greeted to the same sights that he was when he first walked in. The only difference was that some of the walls had large human-sized holes in them and several claw marks that ran a lengthy distance. Instinctively, Yu wanted to assume that a fang was the cause of all of this destruction but Asuramaru quickly shot down his idea.

 _"_ _I know what you are thinking, but this is not the work of a vampire. Trust me. Whatever did this—it was much bigger."_ His inner demon informed. Having no reason to disagree, Yu didn't argue and accepted the former vampire's words and continued with his inspection of the area. It wasn't long before Yuichiro started to pick up a distinct scent emanating from one of the rooms at the end of the large hall. He cautiously made his way towards the smell and deduced from its strength that whatever was giving off the scent was in the room to his right. Positive that he'd caught his culprit he reached for the door handle and jumped when the floor creaked yet again. Whatever was hiding in the room must've heard the noise as well because Yu heard the frantic motions of someone looking for a way out. With the element of surprise gone, the half-demon charged into the room just in time to see a figure leaping out of a window. He crossed the room in record time to catch a glimpse of his fleeing target and was disappointed to see that he disappeared, well almost anyways. The green-eyed teen noticed several fresh footprints leading to another house just up the way.

 _"_ _They're fast I'll give them that."_ He noted to himself as he followed after the mysterious figure. The door to the second house was left wide open and from the looks of it, Yu could tell it was a trap. Figuring that he had the edge because of his demon-blood he decided to head in anyways. Upon entry he noticed that this house was much bigger than the first and was also the scene of something very gruesome. Like the previous home, the walls and floors were stained with blood but this time the same claw marks he'd found upstairs last time were scratched all over the walls of this estate. _"_ _Asuramaru?"_

 _"_ _Yeah?"_ the demon responded.

 _"_ _Any idea at what could have caused all of this? This is insane."_ Yuichiro asked.

 _"_ _To be honest, no I do not. Like you the only thing that I could think of causing this much damage would be a vampire, but those scratch marks say otherwise. Also Yu we tend to drink blood, not splatter it needlessly all over the walls."_

 _"_ _I guess you have a point there, but still what could have done this? The only word that describes what we're looking at is a massacre."_ Yuichiro commented.

 _"_ _Maybe it was a Seraph."_

 _"_ _A Seraph?"_

 _"_ _Yeah, but unlike you they lost control and killed everyone here. It's the only reasonable explanation that I could think of. Still, it doesn't explain those claw marks. I don't know Yuichiro. All I can say is that whatever did tear through the place, definitely was not a human."_

 _"_ _Could it have been a demon?"_

 _"_ _There's a possibility, yes. It's still unlikely though, because demon attacks occur mostly when the host has lost control of his body. Seeing as how we typically possess humans, I doubt a demon was behind this. Although, it is not unheard of for demons to take on a different form."_ Asuramaru explained.

 _"_ _What do you mean?"_

 _"_ _Well in the case of the Weapons of Origin, those demons have been imprisoned so long that their power has grown immensely."_

 _"_ _How is that possible?"_

 _"_ _Simple. They've been sitting around so long that their energy just continues to buildup. Those demons are so powerful however, that they've lost all control of themselves. They are nothing like me. See I have a sense of reason and I am able to communicate with you. Those guys are nothing more than rabid dogs. The only thing that they feel is bloodlust. Kill, kill, kill. With all that power attributed to them, they have the unique ability to manifest without a vessel. It's crazy to say the least, but it does have its limits."_

 _"_ _Like what?"_

 _"_ _Well a manifestation is simply half of a powerful demon's energy. Bound the way they are, half of their power is forever locked away to the weapon that they are imprisoned too. The other half is the manifestation that usually guards the weapon should someone try to take it. Make no mistake Yu, even at half power a demon of that caliber is something that even several vampire nobles would have trouble taking down. There's also the case of possession by just simply touching the damned weapon that creates something like you, only more sinister."_

 _"_ _Something like me?"_

 _"_ _What you thought you were the only half-demon in existence? I mean you are probably the only half-demon who's maintained control of his sanity. Even now I'm still amazed that you survived the transformation, as others were simply consumed by it. Anyways back to what I was saying, those Weapons of Origin are not something I'd want to be messing around with. If I were you I'd back out of this mission now, but knowing how much you care about that purple haired teammate of yours it'd be pointless of me to waste my breath in telling you just how screwed you and your squad really are."_ Asuramaru finished earning a growl from Yuichiro. The green-eyed teen was about to voice his disagreement with his inner demon's statement when he heard a noise coming from upstairs. Deciding to get back to Asuramaru later, Yu had to figure out a way to lure his target out without giving away his position. The storm had finally moved in and kicked up a blizzard that would give the culprit the perfect opportunity to make his getaway. The katana wielder couldn't have that so he had to come up with an idea and quick. It was when he heard another noise from up top that he got the perfect idea. Yu cautiously made his way to an open window in the kitchen and peeked outside. Even in the low visibility conditions he was able to make out another window directly above the one he was staring out of. Better yet, the sound of both noises had come from whatever room was directly above the kitchen. Having learned from his first encounter he pieced together his target's escape room and put a plan of action in motion. Yuichiro scanned the room in search of something that he could use to draw out his prey and settled on a vase that was perfectly intact. He moved into position at the base of the stairs and on the count of three, chucked the vase up and over where it landed with a loud 'crash'. The footsteps of the fleeing miscreant was all the signal that Yuichiro needed to bolt for the kitchen window to make his interception. Just like he'd predicted the target leapt straight out of the second story window and landed right where Yu wanted him.

"Gotcha!" Yuichiro shouted in triumph as he tackled the stranger to the floor. The person struggled and kicked but to no avail as Yu maintained his iron grip. "Argh, damn it! Hold still! I'm not going to hurt you. Take it easy!" he said as his catch slapped at him. After about a good minute the stranger finally resigned to his fate and stopped scrambling, allowing Yu to subdue him and take him hostage. "Alright! You'll be coming with me as I search for my friends. Then we can all get to the bottom of what you are doing up here." He said as he moved to pick up his prisoner. Just when Yu was about to load the stranger on his back he realized that he wasn't dealing with a _he,_ but a _she._ "Woah." He said as he backed up. "I didn't expect you to be a girl. I would've taken things a little easier if I'd—"

"You never should have come here." She interrupted.

"Look it isn't like I want to be here, but I need to be if I am to help the person I care about. So sorry if my presence annoys you, but perhaps if you work with me and my friends we can get out of your hair sooner." Yuichiro replied.

"You don't understand—"

"I don't understand a lot of things. Look let's get out of this blizzard first and then we can talk alright?" Yu then did something that the girl wasn't expecting: he cut her free. "If you want to run then go ahead, I won't stop you. All I expect is that you cause no trouble for my friends and me while we take care of important business." He said simply. Personally, Yuichiro wasn't too fond of holding a girl hostage especially when she looked completely harmless. When she made no move to flee, Yu motioned for her to follow him. Surprisingly, the girl complied and followed him back into the house that she'd just tried escaping from. Now that he had a better look of who he was dealing with he was a little taken aback to say the least, by the girl's appearance. With the cloak around her neck now open, Yu saw that she was wearing a brown one piece sleeveless leather outfit that stopped about halfway down her thigh with little fringes. She had long brown hair with light brown skin to match and looked to be about his age. All in all she was an attractive young woman with a peculiar sense of style. He didn't know how else to explain the look besides tribal. Shrugging it off, Yuichiro got right down to business. "Alright, so care to tell me your name? Mine is Yuichiro Hyakuya."

"Julie." She answered after a brief moment of silence. When she said nothing else, Yu decided to continue:

"Nice to meet you, Julie. So you mentioned that I never should have come here. I take it that these walls have something to do with that?" Yuichiro's answer came from a simple head nod. Julie didn't even make eye contact with him. Still, he was getting answers so he decided to press on. "Well I figured as much. Mind telling me what happened here?" he asked.

"It was the _Lykaios._ " She responded so quickly that Yu almost missed his answer.

"The Lykaios? What's that?" Julie remained silent on the matter however, leaving Yuichiro with just an empty word. "Alright then, I see you don't want to talk about that. Fair enough. So answer me this, why did you come to this abandoned village?" This time it was Julie's turn to be confused.

"Abandoned? This village is not abandoned." She replied.

"It looks pretty deserted to me."

"It is not abandoned! We just—after the—the others—"

"Wait, there are more of you?" he interrupted. It was then that Julie realized that she'd said too much and at that point refused to talk any longer. When it finally dawned on Yu that he wasn't going to get anywhere with the strange girl he decided that he was going to go look for his friends. "Look, I don't know who you are or what this place is, but if you or any of your friends need somewhere to go there's a town at the bottom of this mountain that'd be more than happy to take you in. No offense but this place doesn't seem like it'd meet all of your living needs. If you are up to it, head down to Shadowridge. I assure you that you won't be sorry you did. If that's all you have to say to me, then I have some friends I need to track down. See you around, Julie!" he then departed without giving her a chance to respond. The brown haired girl just sat in the darkness of the house clutching her knees closely to her buddy. She wanted to tell him the truth. To tell him to get out while he could, but she was too afraid.

"Don't you get it Yuichiro? We can't leave this place… because fate has cursed us with guarding it." Julie said to herself.

When Yu left the house for the second time, he was relieved to see that the blizzard had passed. Since he didn't really know what direction his comrades went off too, he decided to backtrack to where they originally started and waited for his teammates to regroup. Of course, Yuichiro wasn't known for his patience and after about ten minutes he resolved to find his squad mates himself. Since he had no idea which direction Yoichi went off to, he figured he'd locate Mitsuba first. He recalled that the blondie had taken the left and so he followed suit. He was relying heavily on his enhanced senses and was perplexed when he was unable to pick up anything. He barged into several houses on the left side and to no surprise they were in the same condition as the homes on the right. Still, he had no luck in locating Yoichi or Mitsuba. Not one to give up so easily, Yuichiro kept up his search in hopes that he'd find a trace of his comrades soon. After thirty minutes of solid sleuthing, Yu still had come up with nothing. He was starting to grow worried and was wondering if something terrible had happened to his teammates. After all, Julie did say that there was more people in the village then any of them had originally thought. There was no telling just how dangerous the inhabitants of the area were and since they were all on their own his comrades could have easily been ambushed. _"_ _Damn it!"_ Yu cursed underneath his breath. He had no leads and no idea where to even start looking. It was then that he went to the only person that could possibly help. _"_ _Well any ideas Asuramaru?"_

 _"_ _My guess is that whatever got to those villagers also got to your friends. What did that girl call them again? The Lykiaos right?"_

 _"_ _I'm trying to stay positive here. Shouldn't I be able to pick up their scent or something!? So far these demon abilities are only proving to be a hindrance!"_

 _"_ _Calm down. I was only joking and you can pick up their scent, you just aren't close enough to do so. That or the enemy is masking your companions scent. If I were to take a guess I'd assume that they aren't very far away from you. Perhaps they found the well that Guren had told you about and are waiting for you there. I don't know. If anything I'd say stop looking in this area. It's clear to me that they aren't here." Asuramaru said._ Seeing as how he had very little options to work with, Yuichiro moved on to the next area of houses. When he failed to pick up a scent there he kept going and so on and so forth until eventually he reached the well that they were searching for.

"Damn it! I can't find them anywhere! Where could they have gone?" he said in frustration. All of Yu's worst fears started to play out in his mind as things slowly started to seem more and more hopeless. Night was about to fall and he'd found no sign whatsoever of his missing comrades. He found it odd that he hadn't picked up any scent in his entire journey throughout the village. Even Julie's scent had gone completely cold since the last time he saw her, that is until she appeared right behind him.

"I told you not to come here." She said eerily.

"Gah! Julie! What the hell!? You scared the crap out of me! Why did you have to sneak up on me like that?" Yuichiro said as he recovered from his brief heart attack.

"No one ever listens. It's too late now…"

"Huh? What the hell are you talking about?" Yu said, clearly confused.

"You should have left when you had the chance." Julie responded.

"What? No! I told you I wasn't going anywhere until I got what I came for and especially not without my friends! You know something! Tell me where my friends are!" Yuichiro shouted, slowly losing his patience.

"It is too late for them too…" she said softly.

"Too late for the—Like hell it is damn it! Tell me where my friends are!" Yuichiro was angry now. He unsheathed his katana and was fully prepared to cut down the strange girl if she didn't provide him with the answers he wanted. "Where are Mitsuba and Yoichi!?" he demanded. With Julie avoiding any form of eye contact with him, Yu's worst fears started materializing right before his very eyes. "I'm only going to ask you one more time Julie. Where are Mitsuba and Yoichi!?"

"I told you that you should've never come here." Was the only response she gave him.

"Damn it Julie, you leave me no choice!" Yuichiro charged forward and prepared to cut down the girl who he deemed had endangered his friends. The kill move would never come however, as Yu felt his body grow heavy. He was slowly beginning to lose control of his body and it became harder for him to stay awake. _"_ _What the hell!? No this can't be happening! I can't go out like this!"_ He did everything he could to fight for control, but no matter what he did he could feel himself slipping away. In his last moments of consciousness he could've sworn that he saw Julie crying and the last things his hears picked up were the words, "I'm sorry." After that, the world went black.

A/N: And there is chapter 8! What's going on with Mikaela? Who or what is Julie? What's a Lykaio? Will Yuichiro live to see another day? You'll just have to wait until the next update to find out! First things first, CVLTheDragonSlayer I thank you for your review, I appreciate it and I will take note to slow things down. I also hope that my writing has gotten a little better since I started writing this and I look forward to hearing from you again in regards to how you think the story is progressing. With that being said, to (sorry I totally thought I responded to your review, but I discovered a type-o and realized that I didn't (lol) so I figured I'd respond now) I am glad to see that you are enjoying the story! I don't know if it is the best yet, but I am happy to know that you think so! Now that I've taken care of that be prepared readers because things are about to get pretty hectic. It may be awhile before my next update and I hate to leave you all on such a cliffhanger, but things are about to get busy around me so while I will do my best to get the next chapter out I make no promises in a speedy update! I think that's everything, so as always if any of you have any ideas, suggestions, comments, questions, and/or concerns please feel free to PM me or leave a review. Until next time Seraphans, Frosty out!


	9. Chapter 9: The Underground Village

Disclaimer: I do not and never will own **_Seraph of the End or any of its characters._** I do claim ownership of this story however.

"Speech"

 _"_ _Thoughts"_

Chapter 9: The Underground Village

Yuichiro could feel the cold and powdery snow seep into his clothing as he was dragged along by his captors. It wasn't like he could do anything to stop the uncomfortable situation, given that he was still battling to maintain consciousness. The grip of the person transporting him was so tight that Yuichiro felt like they were going to break his ankle. He couldn't yell though, he didn't have the energy to. Even Asuramaru seemed to be somewhere else completely. The rhythmic beating of drums slowly started to pick up that was accompanied by a chant in a language that Yu had never heard before. Between that and the constant cackling of flames, the boy with the black locks came to the conclusion that he wasn't in a very good situation. He commanded his eyes to open, but they seemed to be resisting his orders. His whole body seemed to be in a state of paralysis. He was powerless. _"_ _It can't end here. There's someone I still need to save. There's a race that I need to make pay for the pain they have caused. I refuse to let this be the end of me!"_ Yuichiro thought as he struggled against himself for control of his body. As fruitless as his attempts were proving to be, Yu continued on in stubborn ignorance. He was so lost in his fight against paralysis, that he hadn't noticed that they stopped moving. Yu didn't even notice the sounds of footsteps approaching. All that mattered to him was putting an end to his current nightmare.

"Is this the boy?" A voice sounded.

 _"_ _I'll show these bastards! Who the hell do they think they are? Trying to capture me, tsk!"_

"Yes." Julie answered softly.

"You three, take this boy here and prepare him for the ritual. Make it quick! We don't have much time." The same voice ordered.

"Please Grandmaster, don't! We've sacrificed enough to them." Julie begged on Yuichiro's behalf. She was tired of it. She didn't want to run anymore.

 _"_ _Come on!"_ Yuichiro yelled inwardly, blatantly unaware of the ongoing conversation.

"Julie, you know it doesn't work like that. It's either us or them, and my people come first. I'm sorry that it has to be this way, but we just don't have a choice." The Grandmaster replied solemnly.

 _"_ _Legs! Who's side are you on!?"_

"So then they don't get a choice? How is that fair!?"

"That's enough Julie!"

 _"_ _I won't give-_ UP!" Yuichiro screamed as he sat up and stunned everyone in the small village. The first thing he did was reach for Asuramaru, but to his surprise his trusty sword was nowhere on his person. _"_ _Shit! I'm really in a bad spot here…"_ Yu backed up cautiously. All eyes were on him, half daring him to move while the other half looked on in awe.

"So, you've woken up!" The Grandmaster stated loudly. Yu turned his attention to the man in the headdress and ceremonial garb. The outfit seemed a little outlandish to him, but then when he compared what he was wearing to everyone else in the village, Yu knew that he must've looked pretty freakish.

"Damn straight! Who the hell are you guys? Where did you bring—" he paused as met eyes with the girl who'd put him in this position. "YOU!" He yelled as he pointed a finger at Julie. Suddenly, everyone surrounding Yuichiro could've disappeared for all he cared. All that mattered to him was that he got the answers that he desired from the girl with the brown hair. Surely Julie knew where his friends were and this time, he wasn't really in the asking mood. For the second time he reached for his katana and the disappointing realization came once more that he was weaponless. Anyone that knew Yuichiro, knew that the only way to stop him from completely flying off the handle was to smack some sense into him. Sadly, anyone that knew that important tidbit of information was nowhere to be found, so Yu did the only thing he knew how to do: behave recklessly. "Where are my friends!?" He shouted as he bent down low and scooped up a small ball of ice.

"Look Yuichiro, I can explain everything. Please just calm down before things get—ah!" Julie began. Her attempt to defuse the situation ended when she was hit right in the face with a snowball. Right. In. The. Face. _"_ _Did he really just?"_ she thought as she fell backward onto her rear. Now, Yuichiro could have handled the situation a number of different ways. He could've been political, but that really wasn't his style. He could've let Julie finish her sentence, but he was just too angry. Could he just have stayed paralyzed and avoided the set of consequences that were about to befall him? Possibly, but then again that wouldn't be very fun. The only way Yuichiro could have truly solved this issue, was by being himself. He truly outdid himself this time though. The moment he threw that snowball, several villagers pounced on him and took him to the icy ground. In his mind though it was totally worth it, he did hit her right in the face after all.

"Mmmph—mmmm-mmrphh—mmm!" Thankfully, Yuichiro's voice was muffled by the powdery snow because the words coming out of his mouth at that moment were not very pretty. The potty-mouthed teen was yanked to his knees where a particularly pissed off villager grabbed him by the hair and forced him to meet the Grandmaster's penetrating gaze. Yu attempted to break free, but to no avail as several other villagers ran in to restrain him.

"So you must be the troublemaker then?" The Grandmaster said casually. If he was the least bit bothered by the current situation he didn't show it. Hell he looked amused, something that irked the emerald-eyed vampire slayer. Surprisingly Yu didn't answer the question, at least not with any words. His defiant glare spoke volumes to the Grandmaster however. "Ah! Well it's definitely good to know that you are capable of holding your tongue young man. We wouldn't get anywhere if you yelled all the time." He said with a chuckle much to Yuichiro's annoyance. "Besides, I favor cooperation don't you? You help us and we can take you to your friends." The Grandmaster said, finally piquing the teen's interest.

"Where are they?" Yu asked with a venomous tone to his voice. That was the moment that the Grandmaster saw it. Although it only happened in a split second there was no denying the tint of red that glazed the young half-demon's eyes.

"The Grandmaster will ask the questions Outsider!" One of the villagers holding him in place hissed.

"Ash! Let him go." The Grandmaster ordered.

"But Grandmaster!" Ash protested.

"Ash! You and the others heard me! Let the boy go. Now!" Having no other choice, the six men restraining him (reluctantly) released him and moved back to their positions in the crowd. While Yu had to admit that he was surprised at the Grandmaster's order, it didn't change anything in regards to their situation. They had taken his friends captive and until he'd gotten Yoichi and Mitsuba back, everyone in the village was his enemy.

"I'm not going to ask again old man! Where are they!?" Yuichiro snarled. It was evident that he was beginning to lose control of himself and if he didn't get answers soon, the _Lykaios_ would be the least of the village's worries.

"Easy there young man, there's no need to get all worked up. You're friends are alive and well. Trust me, alright?" The Grandmaster spoke calmly and firmly. He made no sudden movements and gestured for everyone else to do the same. He knew full well that if Yuichiro didn't settle down and soon, then they were in big trouble. "We will get nowhere at all if we are constantly at each other's throats. I understand that you are a little confused and irritated, but trust me we were only doing what we had to—"

"So kidnapping my friends and me is doing what you have to!? You've got a funny way of doing things old man."

"You don't understand. It was for your own protection. If you want to sit here and argue all day then we can do that. If you would rather see your friends then I'd suggest you calm down so that we may talk with reason. Mind you, we have your friends. We outnumber you and we know this area better then you do. Clearly the odds are not in your favor, so what's it going to be?"

Yuichiro grunted in defeat and relaxed his muscles. The tension that had been building up between the two suddenly disappeared causing a small smile to grace the elder man's lips. "Glad to see that you can use that head of yours." Another grunt from Yu made the Grandmaster chuckle. "Well, since you honored your part of the bargain we will take you to your friends."

"About damn time!" Yuichiro said.

"There is however, one condition." The Elder said much to Yuichiro's chagrin.

"Great. What do you want now?"

"We will take you to your friends, but in return you must help us lift this curse." He stated.

"Curse? What curse?" Yu asked but the Elder just kept on walking along with the rest of the villagers. _"_ _Did he just ignore me? Why I oughta—"_ Just when he was about to give him a piece of his mind he felt something small bump into him. "Hey—watch where you're going!" He said grumpily.

"Sorry, but you seemed so lost there that it just looked like you needed a little shove. Anyways, don't take the Grandmaster's demeanor to heart. He means well, but he doesn't necessarily trust outsiders." Julie said from behind him.

"Well isn't that a surprise." Julie chuckled at his sarcastic remark. Despite what happened earlier, she was in a very good mood. For once, they were going to fight back and actually do something against the curse instead of allowing themselves to be controlled by it and it was all thanks to Yuichiro. If he hadn't been able to have woken up from the powerful dosage of tranquilizer that subdued him earlier then the Grandmaster would have never taken this chance. The green-eyed boy held a passion in his eyes that no longer exists within the eyes of her people. He had the fighting spirt that they all needed to in order to take their lives back and she was positive that the Elder saw that within him. It was the only explanation for why he'd so suddenly change his mind. "Oh and Yuichiro?" the small tribal girl called. Julie tilted her head slightly and bit down her lip cutely, taking great care to make sure that the vampire slayer noticed. With her hands behind her back and a devilish smile she inched closer to him.

"What?" he said with a slight blush. With the speed of a cheetah and the ferocity of a tiger, she whipped her right hand around and smacked him in the face with a fresh pile of snow. Yuichiro was laid flat on his ass in mere seconds and couldn't utter a word as his mouth was packed full of the icy powder.

"That's for **_earlier._** " She said to the downed outcast. His wide-eyed expression was all the satisfaction she needed as she grinned evilly at him before frolicking away. Yuichiro sat up and spat out the contents of his mouth as he watched her leave.

 _"_ _You deserved that one."_ Asuramaru suddenly sounded from within his head.

 _"_ _Asuramaru? What the hell? How long have you been there?"_ Yuichiro asked, completely forgetting that he was just laid out.

 _"_ _The whole time actually."_ He answered.

 _"_ _The whole time!? Where were you when I needed you?"_

 _"_ _I was here. I couldn't do much to get to you though. Whatever they hit you with was some powerful stuff. It completely severed my connection with you, well at least in the sense that we could no longer communicate. It wasn't so bad though."_ The demon explained.

 _"_ _What do you mean? You weren't hurt or anything by it right?"_ Yu asked out of concern for his inner demon and also for himself. The last thing he needed was something that could counter his demonic abilities, especially in a mission so crucial.

 _"_ _No not at all. I actually feel relieved."_ Asuramaru revealed, much to Yu's surprise.

 _"_ _Really? Was it because you finally got some rest or something?"_

 _"_ _Precisely."_

 _"_ _I didn't know that demons slept."_ Yuichiro said incredulously.

 _"_ _We don't."_

 _"_ _Then how did you—"_

 _"_ _It was quiet for once."_ The demon jeered. The insult went right over Yu's head however, disappointing the former vampire. Although he couldn't see him, Asuramaru was shaking his head vigorously. _"_ _Humans."_ He mumbled. Then it happened again. Silence. It was so quiet that Asuramaru thought Yu had been tranquilized again, but unlike before he could feel his presence. _"_ _Hey, uh, you braindead or something Yuichiro?"_ The demon asked quizzically.

 _"_ _Shut up! I'm thinking!"_

Asuramaru snorted loudly. _"_ _That's a first."_ He barely managed to say before erupting into laughter. Even with an obnoxious demon roaring around in his head, Yuichiro maintained his focus. Before, he didn't really have the chance to look at exactly where he was. Upon closer examination the black demon wielder realized that they were in a cave, a massive one to say the least. A few hundred feet away was a village of decent size that was illuminated in a brilliant orange glow, reminiscent of a place that Yu was praying that he'd never see again. When his host failed to respond at all to his little jab, Asuramaru didn't find the joke all that humorous anymore. After all, what good is a joke without a reaction? The demon decided to see just what left his emerald eyed master speechless. _"_ _Woah."_ The former vampire remarked after catching sight of the village. _"_ _Reminds me of home."_ A hint of pain was noticeably present in Asuramaru's voice. Yuichiro remained silent, unable to find the words to describe how he was feeling. Suddenly, all of the painful memories that Yu thought he'd buried began to rear their ugly heads. _"_ _What's the matter Yuichiro? This place bringing back bad memories?"_ Asuramaru smiled devilishly. Although he was feigning ignorance, he knew _exactly_ what was going on in Yuichiro's head. He couldn't help it, he thrived off of negativity and his host was exuberating plenty of it at the moment. _"_ _Yes! Yes! Keep it coming Yuichiro. That's it, remember—remember everything that happened. Poor poor Akane, oh and Mika!"_ The amount of energy that he was receiving from Yu was driving him to a craze. **_"_** ** _Yes. I can take control here and now, it's the perfect opportunity."_** While he was beginning to like his host, nothing could beat his freedom. **_"_** ** _Just think of all the bloodshed!"_** Asuramaru laughed maniacally. It was finally time for him to make his return to the world. The manifestations of Yuichiro's lost family members began to appear in his subconscious, all of them muttering the same phrase over and over.

 _"_ _How could you leave us to die? You let your family die so that you could save yourself."_ Despite their traumatizing words, Yu didn't look like he was in any pain. As a matter of fact, he was feeling something else entirely. _"_ _You let us die to save yourself."_ They sounded. With speed that rivaled a vampire's, Yuichiro knocked away the fake clones of his long deceased family and closed in on the Mikaela one grabbing it by the throat. _"_ _What? Finally decide to kill us yourself? Oh wait, you already have!"_

 _"_ _Didn't I tell you that I was tired of your shit Asuramaru?"_ Yuichiro hissed. The red glare in his green eyes would have made even the strongest of men wet themselves, but Asuramaru was no man and so he only kept the game rolling. Yu looked away for a split second when he saw motion to his right but when he found nothing, he turned his attention back to his captive. His anger was quickly replaced with horror as he was no longer holding Mika by the neck but, rather the bloodied and lifeless corpse of Shinoa. In his panic he released the girl, who eerily rose to her feet.

 _"_ _What's the matter Yuichiro?"_ she chimed and not with the sarcastic and carefree attitude he'd known, but rather in a tone so sinister and twisted that even he had chills run up his spine. _"_ _Were we not good enough for you to call a family? Is that why you let us die?"_ She said with a crooked neck as the bloodied forms of Kimizuki, Yoichi, and Mitsuba joined the purple haired girl. They slowly started to close in on their emerald-eyed teammate, each muttering their own sinister phrase in strategic attempts to break down his psyche. From Shinoa's body, Asuramaru watched the scene in pure amusement. Yuichiro had fallen back, hands covering his eyes in a pathetic attempt to shield him from the sight of his deceased teammates. He had him right where he wanted him.

 ** _"_** ** _It won't be long now."_** The former vampire grinned in excitement. Then something completely unexpected happened. Everything had come to a complete stop. The clones he'd drudged up from the negativity that Yuichiro had spilled didn't respond to his commands. **_"_** ** _What the hell happened!?"_** Asuramaru grunted in frustration. Then it came once more. The silence. This time, Asuramaru didn't like it for it was anything but relaxing. This was the kind of silence that swallowed you whole and drove you to madness. Right now the only madness he wanted to hear was that of Yuichiro screaming in agony. **_"_** ** _Don't tell me they drugged him now! I was so close!"_** Unfortunately for Asuramaru, Yu wouldn't be screaming any time soon if his sudden outburst of laughter was any indication.

 _"_ _Did you really think it was going to be that easy? If I didn't fall for the other two times what would make this time so different?"_ Yuichiro asked, hands still covering his eyes.

 ** _"_** ** _Shut up! Your love for your friends makes you weak. The only thing that they seem to be good at is dragging you down. This stupid mission you are on is pointless, you know that you can't save her. It's suicide. They are all going to die and there is nothing that you could do about it! Why do you refuse to see that? Why do you refuse the full extent of my power? I could make you unstoppable! Together we can wipe every vampire off the face of the earth. We could rule the world!"_** Asuramaru argued.

 _"_ _Don't you mean that YOU could rule the world? I don't care about any of that stuff. What's the point of having all of that power if I can't defend what matters most to me?"_ He responded. Asuramaru began to grow uneasy as Yu had still failed to remove his hands from his eyes. The demon sensed a growing presence, one that was both familiar and foreign to him. _"_ _Say what you want, call me a weakling or tell me that I'm being used. It makes no difference to me as long as my family is safe."_ Yuichiro rose to his feet and turned his back on the vampire demon. _"_ _Oh and one more thing, try any of this shit again and you'll be sorry."_ He threatened.

Asuramaru laughed heartily at Yu's intimidation attempt. **_"_** ** _You don't scare me."_**

 _"_ _Maybe I don't, but do you really want to put those words to the test?"_ Yu shifted just enough for Asuramaru to catch a glimpse of his right eye; an eye that held a fiery gaze so fierce that his knees buckled and he felt like he was being choked to death.

 **** _"_ _But how!? This is impossible!"_ Asuramaru thought as all of his attention was drawn to the small glimpse he had of Yuichiro's red eye.

 _"_ _You aren't the only demon in my head anymore."_ Yu commented just before shrouding Asuramaru in complete darkness. Having dealt with that issue Yuichiro returned to the land of the living and followed after Julie and the villagers. Despite feeling like he'd spent several minutes trapped inside his head with Asuramaru, only a couple of seconds had passed in the real world. Relieved that he hadn't wasted too much time, Yu double-timed it down to the underground village.

Once he got to the bottom of the base that overlooked the hidden location he was surprised to see the state that the village was in. The place was a total slum and that was putting it nicely. The buildings, if you could even call them that, were scrunched up together and looked as if they would all topple over like dominoes if you so much as touched one. Then there was the smell, like that of freshly laid out manure mixed with rotten eggs and with his heightened senses Yu was having it rough.

"Sorry, if we would've known we were having visitors we would have cleaned up around here a little bit." Julie remarked haphazardly as she popped out from one of the makeshift buildings with a small sword strapped to her hip. Seeing her with a weapon made Yuichiro feel completely naked without his.

"What's there to clean? This place is a dump anyways." Yu noted grumpily. He was still upset over what Julie had done to him at the top of the hill and the fact that she and her village tranquilized him didn't help the matter either. Then there was also Julie holding her sword to his throat.

"Look, I know it's not great but **this** is our home, and I'll be damned if I let some outsider trash talk it!" she said angrily. It didn't help Yuichiro any when her outburst attracted other nearby villagers who looked like they'd have no trouble in joining the fight to rip him to pieces. The green-eyed teen just wasn't in the mood for this. With a small sigh, Yu looked Julie dead in the eyes with an expression that read 'seriously', before he simply took a step back and walked around her. _"_ _Oh hell no!"_ The brown-haired girl thought as he walked away. "Hey! Just where in the hell do you think—"

Yuichiro wheeled around with blinding speed where he caught the pissed off teen by the shoulders stopping her from finishing her sentence. Luckily for him she was so caught off guard by the action that she dropped her sword. "Look the only reason I'm here is so that I can retrieve something that'll save someone very important to me. The longer you and your people keep me and my friends from accomplishing our mission, the less happy we are going to be. So if you would please just take me to my friends so we can deal with your 'curse' and set out to do what we came here to do, it would be much appreciated." Several villagers were sending their harsh looks of disapproval towards the vampire slayer, but he could care less. When Julie saw the look of determination in his eyes she knew better than to keep him from his friends any longer. Her shoulders sunk in defeat allowing her to slip away from his grip, where she met his fierce gaze.

"Alright. Follow me." She said quickly as she picked up her sword and walked past him. Yu said nothing as he followed Julie to wherever his friends were being held. The journey there was pretty uneventful, save for a couple of kids who thought it'd be funny to toss snowballs at the outsider. Yuichiro didn't pay them much mind however, given that their aim was absolutely atrocious. It was either that or Julie really had some bad luck as she was pelted by the kids. If she was bothered in the least by their actions she didn't show it. In fact she was walking with her head held high and her sights set forward. She was like a machine in the sense that nothing broke her concentration, well almost nothing anyways. They were in the midst of climbing up some jagged steps to reach their destination when Yu noticed Julie shaking slightly.

"Something the matter?" He asked.

"Huh? Wha-what do you mean?" She responded absentmindedly. It was then that Yuichiro picked up a familiar scent.

 _"_ _I've smelled this before… but where?"_ Yu thought as the scent invaded his nostrils. He racked his brain and tried to remember the peculiar aroma that sifted through the air and only grew more powerful the longer he stood still. As far as he could tell, it was coming from whatever was on top of the natural stairway that they were ascending. At that point was when he recalled that he was in the middle of a conversation with Julie. "I mean that you're acting a little weird. Why are you shaking? Are you cold?" Julie only shook her head in response before turning around and continuing up the steps. He didn't follow right away and was instead transfixed by the growing presence of the smell that he was sure he'd come into contact with before. He was brought out of his stupor by the voice of his guide to the village hidden within the cavern.

"Hey! You coming or what? I thought you wanted to see your friends!" Yuichiro raised a hand in response and motioned for Julie to come back down towards him. Having walked a good twenty steps ahead of him she wasn't too enthusiastic about heading back down, especially considering that she practically had to jump up to reach the next step. Despite this, Julie swallowed her pain and reluctantly hopped her way down to the green-eyed teen. "What's up?"

"Do you smell that?" He asked.

"Smell what? Did you pass gas or something?" She said as she instinctively brought her hands over her nose to shield it from any foul odor.

"No! Nothing like that. I don't know how to explain it really. It's a unique smell, but I swear I've smelled it before."

"Well can you describe it? I don't smell anything honestly." Julie responded.

"You mean you can't smell that?" Yu asked incredulously. It was then that it dawned on him that his sense of smell was much stronger than hers. _"_ _Oh crap! I totally forgot! Still, it's a powerful scent. Maybe she'll know what it is."_ Yu thought. At first he was worried he'd given himself away, but then he convinced himself that there was no way that she could possibly guess he was a half-demon so he decided there was no harm in continuing the conversation.

"Smell what!?" Julie said exasperatedly. She was starting to grow impatient as she was beginning to think that Yuichiro had only brought her down to him to mess with her.

"I dunno!" he said in frustration. Yuichiro didn't know how to describe the strange odor that had captivated his interests and he could see that he was driving Julie to the point of anger. He tried to think of the words, but his mind failed him. The only thing that was swirling around up in his noggin was the mysteriously familiar aroma.

"Well, if you're done wasting my time, I'll be on top of this hill. See you there when you are done being crazy and all." She said as she turned to leave. Thinking that it was all in his head, Yuichiro decided to ignore the smell for the time being and followed after Julie, whom was comically struggling to get herself over a step that was almost taller than her.

"Having a little trouble there?" Yu noted much to her chagrin.

"Shut up! If it weren't for you I wouldn't have to be doing this again." She pointed out as she tried kicking her leg up to clear the step. "Gah! I did this before! Did this step get taller or something!?" she vented earning a small laugh from Yuichiro. She was beginning to remind him a little bit of Shinoa, a less sarcastic and odd Shinoa as a matter of fact. Still, it was those two traits that separated Julie from the real thing, and was another reminder for Yu to get a move on before it was too late for his purple haired crush.

"Well, have fun! I'll meet you at the top." Yuichiro smiled back as he hopped from step to step with relative ease. Being tall definitely had its perks.

"Huh? Wait!? You aren't going to help me? Yuichiro!? Get back here! AHH! Yuichiro!"

Yu sat atop of the hill just outside ancient looking temple, waiting patiently for his brown-haired guide to catch up. The first thing he noticed was how much stronger the smell was this time around and he deduced that it was coming from the inside of temple. He also picked up on Yoichi's and Mitsuba's scents as well, but he decided to hold out for Julie before going to meet them. As he waited for the brown-eyed girl to catch up to him, Yu investigated the exterior of the ancient temple. As far as he could tell the structure was fairly old and based on the way it was leaning, it was sinking. He didn't get to ponder much more on the subject as an exasperated Julie finally pulled herself over the last step.

"Took you long enough." Yu said sarcastically.

"Shut—up." She barely managed to say in between breaths. Julie was lying motionless on the floor with her back to the roof of the cave. The icy feeling of powdery snow worked miracles on her aching muscles. She would have laid there forever if it weren't for Yu prodding her to get up so that they could reach their destination. "Fine." She mumbled, tired of his childlike qualities.

After the struggle it took to get Julie to the entrance of the door of the temple, Yu helped her push the heavy doors open that led into a well-lit room that was intricately decorated with various antique paintings and furniture. Better yet Yoichi and Mitsuba were sitting in the middle of the room, conversing with a mysterious being that Yu couldn't see. Upon hearing the opening of the doors the two lost members of the Shinoa squad raced to greet their favorite black-haired idiot.

"You're okay!" Mitsuba shouted as she squeezed the air out of Yu's lungs. He would've responded but he was too busy being squished to death.

"Yeah! We thought we'd lost you there for a second Yuichiro. Thankfully these people were nice enough to bring us here while they went on and searched for you." Yoichi said from behind Mitsuba. It was at that point that Yu broke free from Mitsuba's death hold and returned to his usual outrageous self.

"WHAT!? You two were brought here?" He asked incredulously.

"Yeah. Weren't you?" Mitsuba answered a little uneasily. Based on how her comrade was reacting, things didn't go as planned.

"NOOOO! I was drugged and brought here against my will! I thought that these guys were holding you hostage or something. This guy told me that I'd have to lift this curse or something in return for him bringing me to you guys!" Yu informed his comrades.

"Well, that was the deal." Yoichi scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Huh?" a confused Yu sounded.

"In return for them finding you for us, we would help them with their 'curse' problem." Mitsuba explained. It was then Julie's turn to jump into the conversation, as she was under the impression that the Grandmaster initially intended to sacrifice Yuichiro and his friends.

"You mean that you worked this out with the Grandmaster ahead of time?"

"Yes we did. Who are you?" Mitsuba said with a raised eyebrow. She didn't even notice that there was another person with Yuichiro and a pretty one at that. _"_ _Jeez, she's almost as tiny as Shinoa."_ The blondie snickered to herself.

"My apologies, my name is Julie—"

"Now wait just a minute!" Yuichiro interrupted.

"What?" Mitsuba responded like nothing was wrong, further irritating the green-eyed teen.

"You had those villagers drug me and bring me here instead of you two coming out to find me yourselves!?"

"No. We asked them to find you and bring you here." Mitsuba began.

"Well then what the—"

"Let me finish!" The teen with the pig-tails prevented Yu from cutting her off. "We did tell them that you have a tendency to lose your temper. I guess they took it to heart and drugged you as a precautionary measure." She finished whilst shrugging her shoulders.

"What!? I do not! They didn't even give me a chance!" Yuichiro yelled angrily.

"In my villages' defense, you _were_ about to attack me." Julie added in earning a grunt from Yu.

"Yeah, that's because you wouldn't tell me where my friends were!" He defended.

"So your way of getting answers is by attacking an innocent girl?" Julie shot back.

"If you ask me you had it coming. Serves you right too, maybe next time you'll think about who's trying to help you before you go and do something stupid." Mitsuba huffed before returning to take her seat on the floor.

"Help!? You call that—grrr" Yu growled as he pretended to choke Mitsuba. Yoichi laughed at his teammate's behavior and Julie couldn't help but crack a smile as well.

"Don't worry they're always like that." Yoichi said to Julie as they watched Mitsuba and Yuichiro continue to dish it out.

"Yeah, the way he is I can only imagine." She answered with a small laugh. As she watched the argument with growing interest, she also noticed that the figure that was sitting with them before was nowhere to be found. "Hey, umm" she began.

"Yoichi." He told her as they had yet to be acquainted.

"Right. Yoichi, umm wasn't there someone sitting with you guys earlier?" She resumed.

"Huh? Oh yeah there was. Funny, he was here a second ago. Oh, wait here he comes now." Yoichi said as he pointed in the direction that the stranger was coming. Suddenly, everything became quiet. A weird aroma floated about the room as the stranger stood dead center of the room, although no one was really paying him any attention, but rather had their sights set on Yuichiro. There was no denying the growing tension that was amounting in the room and everyone knew it was pouring from the green-eyed teen.

"I don't get it. What's going on?" Julie asked Yoichi, who was too on edge to respond. Even Mitsuba was silent as she watched the stare down going on between the stranger and Yuichiro. Sensing imminent danger, Mitsuba quickly took a position next to Julie and Yoichi.

"So, you've returned—Yuichiro Hyakuya." The mysterious figure said. Yu didn't know how to respond. For reasons he couldn't explain, he felt like he knew this person. It was the smell, the same one that he'd picked up earlier. There was no denying it, he knew the person in the cloak. The only memory he could attribute to this person however, was of him being in a large open room strapped down to a middle of the table. He remembered kicking and screaming as something sharp pierced his forearm and several people having to come over to restrain him.

 _"_ _What the?_ " He thought as he relived the memory. "How do you know my name?" Yuichiro asked on full alert. Although he didn't have a weapon, Yuichiro was more than prepared to tap into his demonic abilities to go toe-to-toe with this mysterious person. "Well? Are you going to answer me or not!?" He said impatiently.

"How do I know your name? Oh, Yuichiro I know _everything_ about you." Came the chilling reply.

"Wait, this isn't the same person we were sitting with earlier—EVERYONE GET DOWN!" Mitsuba barked her order as she realized the severity of their situation. Her realization came too late however, as the figure charged straight for Yuichiro, ready to impale him on her wicked looking weapon.

"YUICHIRO!"

 ** _A/N:_** Kept you waiting huh? It's definitely been quite a while since my last update and I apologize for that, but things just got so busy around me. Then there's also the fact that I hit my first case of writer's block and it totally sucked. To add to the load, I went and did something completely crazy, I started another fic! Yeah! Insane right! So if any of you happen to like Fallout or SAO be sure to check it out, as it's a crossover of those two worlds with an original storyline and characters! Alright, that's enough advertising out of me back to Shadows of the Earth! I'd like to take this moment and personally thank all of you who are following/favorited this story. WE HIT 30! It really means a lot to me guys and it definitely motivates me to keep writing. I'd also like to take the time to respond to some reviews that were left since my last update.

 ** _Hinoiri Lwin: Glad you're enjoying the story and yes, a lot has happened… and I'm almost sure that things are only going to get crazier from here on out! Thank you for your continued support and I hope that I've at least answered some of your questions. I did leave you all on another cliffhanger though… silly me! So thanks again for your review and I hope that you continue to enjoy the story!_**

 ** _Guest: Hoopla to you too!_**

 ** _Guest 2: If you happen to be the same person who left the hoopla, I say thank you your compliments and for taking the time to review. I really appreciate it and hope to hear from you again. (Whoever you are)_**

Yeah, that about covers things. So! Who's this mysterious hooded figure you ask? Hmm I can't tell you that just yet, **_BUT!_** I can give you a little preview of what's to come in chapter 10. That's right, my special little sneak peek for you all for being so patient with me and this long update. Now before I cut you all completely loose… if any of you have any questions, suggestions, comments, and/or concerns feel free to shoot me a PM or leave a review. Until next time Seraphans, Frosty out!

 ** _Sneak Peek!_**

Mikaela slowly stepped back in order to put some distance between him and whatever monstrosity was looming before him. The monster's jaw was hanging from the right side of its face while two horns jutted from the temples of its skull. The eyes of the creature held the same intensity as the small orb that had plagued Mika earlier and its entire body was outlined in what could only be described as veins of lava. Then, as if it had flicked a switch the monster caught fire along its veins and spikes protruded from its back as it rose to its full height. Towering over Mika by at least three feet, the monster took one step to close the gap that separated them. Being mere inches away from the demon, Mikaela could feel the intensity of the heat that it irradiated and he could better make out the charred pieces of flesh that lined its entire frame. He almost felt sorry for the demon as it looked to be in an unimaginable degree of pain. Almost. He reached for his sword and winced as it stabbed into him to take his blood, coating his blade a dull red color. _"_ _Sorry, but I have to do this."_ He said as he swung his sword in an upwards arc where he caught the demon at the bridge of its nose. His attack didn't cut any higher however, as the blade was smashed in between both of its hands. Mika jumped back just in time as two extra arms burst from the creatures back, one of them coming forward in a sweeping motion. Right when he thought he was safe Mikaela took a nasty kick to his side that sent him tumbling several feet.

The blonde teen had to roll away as the monster closed in on him, swinging away with his sword and its very own. _"_ _Damn! This thing's right on top of me."_ He was beginning to worry as he was slowly running out of room to roll and if he didn't act fast then he'd be nothing more but minced meat. In a risky move, Mikaela pivoted his weight on his right hand whipping his legs around with enough force to knock his pursuer off its feet. The creature's jaw clacked against the ground before dislodging completely. Mika scooped up his sword from the downed enemy and quickly took a defensive stance as the demon recovered from his surprise attack. It was then that Mikaela caught his first glimpse of a Weapon of Origin.


	10. Chapter 10: Vampires and Demons

Disclaimer: **_I do not own Seraph of the End or any of its characters….. however, I do claim ownership of the original content within this story!_**

 **A/N:** Hmmm, write this chapter or do very important homework? Seraphans? Homework? What to do, what to do… well it is the tenth chapter after all… very important milestone for me here… think I'll skip out on my homework just this once. After all, it isn't every day that you hit the big ten! So Seraphans please enjoy this next installment of Shadows of the Earth (at the cost of my college life)! Lol.

"Speech"

 _"_ _Thoughts"_

Chapter Ten: Vampires and Demons

Shinoa couldn't explain to you where she was or how she ended up in her current state of being. Her perception of time was especially warped. She couldn't discern whether she'd been floating on in the dark abyss for days or for mere seconds. The purple haired teen could also hear the outside world, loud and clear. It was funny to her. The way the world seemed to move on without her, like it'd completely forgotten she ever existed. Then, one day out of the blue she was reminded of her special little place in the cruel and twisted place that she called 'home' thanks to the warm touch of a certain green-eyed vampire slayer. "I'm going to bring you back" he said to her. "No matter the cost."

 _"_ _Bring me back? Where did I go? I'm right here."_ She tried answering, but the abyss she was in just swallowed her words. Then without warning, her connection to the outside world had gone away. She could no longer feel _his_ touch and once again she was left all alone to ponder her thoughts. _"_ _No matter the cost."_ She repeated, playing with the words in her mouth trying to put the phrase into the correct context. _"_ _What was he talking about? Am I—dead?_ " She panicked for a quick second, but then regained her composure faster than you could say _Hiragi._ _"_ _No, that's impossible. Maybe I was turned into a vampire and I—no, that can't be it either. Maybe this is all just a dream."_ She tried forcing her body to wake up, but could not. Then she remembered that she'd been like this for a while now, trapped in her very own body. It was the nightmare she couldn't wake up from. Then, **_he_** appeared. The boy that had finally made her feel like she belonged somewhere. The green eyes, scruffy black hair, and the cocky expression, all of it was standing right before her.

"Shinoa!" He called. Her heart jumped once, twice and then she made to reply, but words failed her again. Or did they? Her voice caught in her throat as a ghastly black wing sprouted out of the Seraph-boy she'd come to love. He howled in excruciating pain and started clawing at his own skin, like he was trying to snuff out invisible flames.

"Yuichiro!" She jumped forward, racing to save the tormented soul in front of her in the same exact way that Guren had told her to do before. Then the realization came again. _She couldn't move._ Powerless and unable to do a single thing about the situation, she was forced to watch the agony unfold. Then he looked at her, but it wasn't as the same as when he did it with his emerald eyes. Oh no, his eyes were blood red and sinister and they were trained on her. Before he could move however, a thick broadsword pierced his chest coating the silver steel a deep red. "NOOOOOOO!" Shinoa yelled as Crowley's head popped out from behind Yu. Behind him also lay the bodies of the rest of her comrades, the only people she'd ever call family. Yuichiro was the last of them to fall as his wing retracted and the color in his eyes faded as his body collapsed in a heap. _"_ _This can't be happening! No! No! What's the—"_ her thoughts were put on halt as Crowley approached her. Then, when he was within a sword's reach of her she noticed that it wasn't the same Crowley that she knew. At that point, everything suddenly made sense.

"I've taken everything from you. You are nothing and you never have been. You think they accepted you, a half-demon monstrosity? You've always been alone and you always will be. I'll make sure of that." Her nemesis hissed.

"Wow, Shi! That's got to be the nicest thing that you've ever said to me! You know, you really got me good!" The teen giggled as everything around her dematerialized and a scythe-wielding shadow took shape just in front of her.

"What! Impossible! How did you—" her inner demon began, but she chose not to let him finish.

"Ah-ah! No, I'll ask the questions _Shhhi."_ She cooed the demon's name further irritating him. "When he made no movement to continue talking she resumed. "So, what's going on? Why can't I wake up?" She asked straight away. Shinoa wasn't really in the mood to play around, she just wanted answers.

"Simple. I don't want you to." Came the reply. Initially, she was caught off guard by the answer as for the most part she and her demon got along just fine before.

"Well that isn't very nice, Shi." She said in her infamous sarcastic manner. The scythe-cursed gear just turned his head away and vanished completely, leaving the purple haired teen without any answers. _"_ _The hell is his problem? Well, still stuck at square one I guess. On the bright side though, I'm not floating anymore!"_ she chimed as she decided to search for her elusive inner demon. One way or another, she **_was_** going to get the answers she desired. After all, Shinoa could be very _persuasive_ when she wanted to be. "Ooohhh Shhhiiii!"

 ** _The Cave of Origin…_**

He didn't dare move. He didn't dare breath. He didn't dare blink. He couldn't afford to. Scorching red eyes that held the same orange glow and intensity as the small orb that had plagued Mika earlier scanned his body hungrily. He didn't know how it could possibly eat him though, as the monster's jaw dangled from the right side of its face. Then there was the two jagged horns that looked as if they were breaking through its skull on opposite sides of its temple. Its entire body was outlined in what could only be described as veins of lava. Then, as if it had flicked a switch the monster caught fire along its veins and spikes protruded from its back as it rose to its full height. Towering over Mika by at least three feet, the monster took one step to close the gap that separated them. Being mere inches away from the demon, Mikaela could feel the intensity of the heat that it irradiated and he could better make out the charred pieces of flesh that lined its entire frame. He almost felt sorry for the demon as it looked to be in an unimaginable degree of pain. Almost. He reached for his sword and winced as it stabbed into him to take his blood, coating his blade a dull red color. "Sorry, but I have to do this." He said as he swung his sword in an upwards arc where he caught the demon at the bridge of its nose. His attack didn't cut any higher however, as the blade was smashed in between both of its hands. Mika jumped back just in time as two extra arms burst from the creatures back, one of them coming forward in a sweeping motion. He barely had enough to time to parry the blow of the incoming blade that would have cut him in two if he would have been a fraction of a second slower. The sheer power behind the strike was enough to send Mikaela stumbling backward, making it that much harder to defend himself as the demon went all out.

 _Clang! Clang! Clang!_ The sound of the clashing swords reverberated throughout the chamber as Mikaela danced around, desperately looking for an opening. _"_ _Damn! I'm off balance! I can't keep dodging forever!"_ Mika growled as he rolled underneath a death blow and then hopped over the backlash of the demon's attack. With the small window of opportunity that he created in that little maneuver, Mikaela stepped forward and thrust his sword deep into the creature's abdomen. This would prove to be a costly mistake for the blonde vampire however, as his blade was caught leaving him open to a vicious backhand that sent him tumbling several feet. _"_ _Well, not my best move but at least I got him."_ Mikaela thought as he struggled to his feet. He looked around for his broadsword hoping that it dislodged when he was smacked away and found it in the worst possible place: in the hands of his enemy. _"_ _Well, shit."_ He cursed beneath his breath as he was now weaponless against a dangerous foe. With a loud ear-splitting roar the behemoth charged forward, ready to end the fight with the vampire.

The blonde teen had to roll away as the monster closed in on him, swinging away with his sword and its very own. "Damn! This thing's right on top of me." He was beginning to worry as he was slowly running out of room to roll and if he didn't act fast then he'd be nothing more but minced meat. In a risky move, Mikaela pivoted his weight on his right hand whipping his legs around with enough force to knock his pursuer off its feet. The creature's jaw clacked against the ground before dislodging completely. Mika scooped up his sword from the downed enemy and quickly took a defensive stance as the demon recovered from his surprise attack. It was then that Mikaela caught his first glimpse of a Weapon of Origin.

On the hilt of the sword was a charred black skull that had its mouth wide open with what looked like a tongue to be flaring around with an ominous black aura pouring from its mouth. From the sides of its skull burst two razor sharp claws and on the crown of its head sat the same jagged horns of the monster, except one looked to have broken off. The blade itself was just about four feet in length and had an intricate design. A thick three inch-line was pressed into the middle of the razor sharp steel and about ten inches from the hilt, the blade extended outward in small diamond shape before coming back in and narrowing out. After seeing the craftsmanship of the infamous Weapon of Origin, Mika knew that he wasn't going anywhere without that sword. It was like it was begging him to take it from the creature standing before him and he wasted no time in getting started.

Instead of waiting for his opponent to rush him, the blonde vampire used his advantage in speed to outmaneuver the heavy swings of the fire demon. He came close to getting hit so many times, that his hairs were beginning to singe just from his mere proximity to the blade. Despite this, Mika maintained focus and closed in on his target. Lucky for him, the monster slashed horizontally in an attempt to push his attacker back, but Mikaela ducked under the swing and connected with two swipes of his own. He would've followed up with a third attack but, the vampire had to forego his strategy in order to protect himself from the demon's chaotic slashes.

 _Clang! Clang! Clang!_ The blades exchanged edges and sparks as they collided with one another however, the demon was beginning to get the upper hand in the fight due to its immense strength. Even with his heightened vampire abilities, Mika was beginning to grow fatigued and could do little to get out of the way of the monster's flaming fists. _"_ _As if it wasn't hard enough to block a sword already!"_ He complained to himself as he took a mean right hook from his opponent. Not to be outdone, the blonde vampire responded with a few blows of his own that successfully pushed the demon back several feet. His foe responded with an overhead swing of its legendary broadsword that was intended to crush Mika where he stood. Instead, the demon found his attack parried and received a deep laceration across its chest. Mikaela smirked knowing that he'd gotten his opponent good, but in his celebration he failed to notice one of the monster's arms approaching as it grabbed him by the face and slammed him onto the ground hard knocking the wind out of him. Without missing a step the demon followed up its attack with a brutal punch to Mikaela's stomach while he was down. Thinking that it finally had the edge, the creature brought its weapon down to finish the fight once and for all but, instead found itself parried again. This time however, the demon was prepared and kicked the downed Mika away before he could get a counter-attack in. If there was any air left in the vampire's lungs it was surely gone after the savage kick he received as he soared through the air before crashing into one of the fallen spires from earlier. He heard a nasty 'crack' as his back met hard rock causing him to cry out in sheer pain. If he were an ordinary human the force of the impact would have surely broken his back, but luckily for him, Krul had taken his humanity from him.

 _"_ _Got to—move!"_ Even with his tougher exterior, Mika did not escape injury with his encounter with the stone wall. He was almost positive that he'd at the very least had fractured something in his spine if his pain was any indication. All he had to do was get far enough away from the demon for his body's natural healing factor to kick in to put him back into fighting shape. Although, that was much easier said than done, as in his current state he'd lost the only advantage he had in this battle: his mobility. The thundering and heavy footsteps of his foe did little to ease his worries as he crawled along the floor as fast as he could. His efforts were ultimately fruitless, as his pursuer was much too fast for him. In one last attempt to give his body the time it needed to recuperate, Mikaela rolled to his left just as the monster's foot crashed down in his previous position. The demon was not fooled by Mika's sudden shift in direction and instead changed course itself, effectively pinning his prey right where it wanted. With nowhere left to run and defenseless, the blonde vampire could do nothing to dodge the creature's blade from piercing his abdomen. He gasped as the cold steel cut slipped into his skin, yelping when the sword's affects kicked in. The wound felt like it was on fire prompting him to grab the weapon's sharp edges with his bare hands to try and drive it out. His instincts would prove to be a horrible idea, as his hands soon received lacerations of their own and were also subjected to the effects of the hellfire flames. He didn't care though. His only purpose was to get the sword out of his abdomen but with the amount of blood dripping down the blade and the feeling in his hands, maintaining his grip was almost impossible. Despite his grim situation, Mikaela started to successfully pull the demonic weapon from his side catching the attention of the monster. Now the blonde vampire and his attacker were trapped in a battle of wills. Mika let loose a battle cry as he put forth all of his strength to dislodge the Weapon of Origin and the demon bellowed out with an earth shaking roar as it pushed the blade back into its victim. As much of a struggle that Mikaela was putting on, it wasn't enough to defeat the monster before him. Slowly and surely, Mika started losing his ground and could not prevent the sword's horizontal advance towards his belly button. At the rate things were going, it wouldn't be long before he either bled out or the demon cut him in half. Either way his situation was utterly hopeless. _"_ _This is how it ends then?"_ the thought came as he coughed up blood. His strength was beginning to fail him, allowing the monster to kill him faster than it already was. _"_ _Yuichiro… they're only using you… I can't die… not…here… I need…to….save…"_ his vision started to blur bringing him to the realization that his time on the earth was coming to a close. _"_ _No…no…no…NO….NO!"_ Mikaela poured every last ounce of strength he had into stopping the progress of the blade and removing it. "Grrrrrrraaaaaaaaaa!" He shouted as he yanked the weapon from his body surprising his opponent. Tired of the elongated battle that its prey was putting on, the demon decided to stop playing and put an end to the blonde vampire. It moved the sword and dangled it directly over his heart, ready to finally silence Mikaela forever. Its success however, was hampered by the former human's stubborn defiance of his inevitable death. As much force as the demon applied to drive the blade through Mikaela's heart, the blonde vampire countered with just as much strength leaving the exchange at a complete stalemate.

The demon roared once more and Mikaela shouted just as loudly, as the two were locked in what was seemingly a never-ending struggle. Unfortunately, for Mika the battle had to end at some point and his sudden burst of energy was beginning to wane. "No!" The tip of the sword seared his flesh causing him to howl in pain. Despite making contact with its opponent, the demon was far from a killing blow and had yet to even pierce the stubborn vampire. It wouldn't be much longer though, as Mikaela weakened and the very tip of the blade entered into his chest. The teen with the blue eyes kicked and thrashed about wildly, trying to cope with the indescribable amount of pain he was in. With one final look into the creature's eyes, Mika understood exactly why these things were known as demons. Even without its jaw, it was evident that it was enjoying his agony. Knowing that he was now only prolonging his own death and tormenting himself by fighting what was surely guaranteed, Mikaela decided there was no use in fighting it any longer. Sensing its foe's change of heart, the demon grew eager with anticipation to finally put an end to the battle. Closing his eyes and dropping his hands from the razor sharp edges of the sword, Mika felt it suddenly leave his chest and assumed that the monster was going to run him through any second.

 _Except it never did._

 _Cling! Clang!_ _"_ _Did he—just drop his weapon!?"_ Mikaela was at a loss for words. He would've opened his eyes to see what was going on, but he no longer had the energy to. It was a miracle he was still conscious. Then he heard the demon's unmistakable roar and several feminine grunting noises. _"_ _The hell is going on?"_ Mikaela asked in wonder. _Clang! Clang!_ He knew that sound. It was the exact some sound that his sword made when he was exchanging blows with the demon. The monster howled out in what he thought was pain just as a familiar voice called out to him, a voice that he was ecstatic to hear. If he could have smiled he would have, for he was just saved from death by a certain red-head. Although, he could do without her insults.

"What? You gave up that easy?" She said cockily as she readied herself to go toe-to-toe once more with the guardian of the Weapon of Origin. "Oi! You just going to lay there forever Blue, or are you gonna help me with this nutjob?" she called out again while avoiding two swipes of the creature's deadly broadsword. The fiery redhead then turned her attention to the monster before her. "Sorry, but too slow!" With unparalleled speed, Scarlett closed the gap that she'd made with her opponent and slashed away with her signature daggers. She leapt back just in time to avoid a lethal counter-attack and hopped right back in the fray to continue her relentless assault on the behemoth. Although she was definitely putting in some serious work, her daggers lacked the killing power necessary to do any major damage on the demon before her. At best, she was only leaving scratches on the monster's thick and charred skin. Regardless, she still pressed on with her attacks, hell bent on saving Mikaela. She did the splits just in time to avoid a swing aimed at her head and rolled to the left to avoid an overhead smash that would've cut her clean in two. With a clear shot to do some real damage to her foe, Scarlett stepped forward into the demon's personal bubble and stabbed one of her daggers deep in its abdomen. She ducked under a swipe of one of its arms and brought her knife up its side before ripping it out violently, spewing the monster's orange lava-like blood everywhere. While it wasn't a killing blow, it definitely was a devastating laceration as the creature cried like never before. If the demon wasn't angry before, it was surely pissed off now. In a rage, it grabbed its weapon and started swiping away crazily and viciously hoping that one of its rampant attacks would connect with the red-headed girl. Fortunately for Scarlett the creature's wild spasms were predictable and easy to dodge. It wasn't very hard for the feisty vampire to get underneath and around the demon, giving her another opportunity to wreak havoc on her foe. With its back completely exposed, Scarlett jumped up and dug her daggers deep in what had to be the creature's shoulder blades. The monster tried reaching with its arms to grab hold of the girl, but she either kicked them away or avoided them completely as she set her sights on her target. After dodging another barrage of attempts to dislodge her, Scarlett seized the opportunity and maneuvered herself into position atop the monster's shoulders. She sent a powerful kick to the back of the monstrous creature's head before spinning around and leaping off toward her intended target. With the demon in a daze from her previous attack, there was no resistance when she severed the monster's sword-bearing arm from its body while she was in mid-air. Brought out of its stupor by the sudden loss of an arm, the monster went into a frenzy and connected two bone crunching punches to Scarlett's midsection bringing the girl to her knees. The demon grabbed the red-head by the throat and would've choked the life out of her if she hadn't stabbed her knife into its wrist. With her narrow escape from her own demise, Scarlett distanced herself from her opponent in order to catch her breath. Her gaze flitted over the chamber and stopped at the sight of Mika, but more specifically the small pool of blood that he was lying in. _"_ _Mikaela's blood! It smells soooooo good! I need it… I NEED IT!"_ Due to her lust for the blonde vampire's blood, she was left wide open and received several crushing blows from the crazed demon. She was sent tumbling at the end of its brutal combo and cursed herself for allowing her desires to get the best of her as she rose to her feet. Luckily, the monster didn't have the mind to pick up its weapon before attacking her, allowing her to escape with broken ribs and probably a fractured skull. It beat decapitation any day!

 _"_ _Damn. I can't keep this up for much longer."_ Scarlett realized as her breaths were starting to grow heavier and it became much harder for her to elude her opponent's swings. Although she was avoiding the nastiest of the strikes, she was still caught on some of the weaker yet powerful punches of the raging guardian. Still, the red-headed vampire managed to land several decent cuts of her own in between the monster's attacks. Seeing as how she was going to get pummeled if she kept within close range, she put some distance between herself and her adversary. Knowing that the orange veins were her foe's weak points, her final plan was to sever every last one. With the amount of distance between herself and the monster, she took the opportunity to do a quick count of the veins running along its body. Each limb had its own vein that all could be traced back to a central point at the core of the behemoth's chest. _"_ _That's it! I take out that big orange glob on its chest and this will all be over!"_ She prepared her mind and body for what she was hoping was going to be the final move of the battle. Daggers at the ready, Scarlett bent down low and waited for the opening she desired. The opportunity arose after the beast began sprinting toward her, seemingly hell bent on finishing their fight. She waited patiently for the demon, knowing that even one false move would mean she was as good as dead. Finally the moment came when she was certain that her attack was unavoidable, Scarlett threw one of her daggers with deadly precision into one of the veins on the behemoth's legs, successfully halting its advance and bringing it to a knee. Since time was of the essence, she gripped her remaining dagger with both hands and with a piercing battle cry, she raced forward at full speed and drove her blade so deep into the creature's core that even the hilt and the top of her hand had punctured its weak point. She could feel her skin burning from the contact with the orange-like blood, but she ignored the pain knowing that her healing factor would repair the damage being done. The demon threw its head back and howled so loudly that the very chamber started to quake. Despite her efforts, Scarlett's attack was devastating, but by no means was it the final blow. She figured this out when the monster rose to its full height and smacked her away before pulling her knife from its chest. _"_ _No way! It can't be… I did everything I could… and yet it wasn't enough… I'm still too weak… Mikaela… I'm sorry…"_ She couldn't bring herself to her feet and as hope finally abandoned her, she resigned herself to her fate. She watched her foe thrash about in anger over being wounded before it finally turned its attention back toward the person that caused its pain. Overtaken by the feeling of sweet, sweet, revenge the beast slowly made its way over to the downed form of the fiery red-head. Twisting its head in amusement, the monster cocked a flaming fist back and brought it forward where it left a human sized crater in the floor. However, he could not find a single trace of the girl that'd done so much damage to him.

"Wow Red, was he too much for you?" A rejuvenated Mikaela teased from behind the creature. Scarlett huffed into his chest before responding herself.

"Yeah, yeah you're my hero. Woop. Woop. Can you just hurry up and put an end to this asshole already? Kind of been a long day." She said grumpily as Mika carefully set her down.

"With pleasure." The blonde vampire grinned as he unsheathed his brand new toy, his very own Weapon of Origin. Instantly, he felt an overwhelming surge of power course through his body and it felt absolutely amazing. He also could feel something darker circulating within the recesses of his mind, but he chose to ignore it for the time being, as he was too enveloped in his newfound strength. Every few seconds, he could feel the pulse of the sword reverberate throughout his body, like the weapon itself was alive. He didn't get to reflect on the feel of the sword much longer though, as the monster whipped around with an attack that could've dislodged the former human's head if it had connected. The opening it left afterward provided Mikaela the perfect opportunity to test out his new blade. He thrust the demonic steel straight through the beast's exposed stomach and was surprised at how little resistance the sword met as it punctured the thick skin of his foe. Before the creature could voice its agony, Mika twisted the sword horizontally and dragged it out through the monster's hip bringing with it heaps of its orange blood. The blonde vampire then slashed diagonally once, then twice, thrice, hell he was having so much fun cutting that he'd lost count. The power he was cloaked in called for this amount of desecration, it yearned for it. Scarlett watched the bizarre seen unfold and realized that if she didn't do something soon, then the demon would be the least of their problems. She forced herself into a kneeling position, then with all the strength she could muster she stood on her own two feet and hobbled over to the crazed Mikaela. The demon was already long dead and yet even its collapsed form Mika was still slicing away at it when Scarlett's hand gripped his shoulder.

"Mikaela… you can stop now. It's over." She said from behind him.

"Stop?" He said almost confusedly. Like the word itself was from a language that he'd never heard before.

"Yes, please stop. There's no need for this amount of—"

 **"** **Shut up!"** Mika roared as he spun around, slapping the red-haired girl away from him. Stunned wouldn't even begin to explain how Scarlett felt after Mikaela's sudden outburst of rage. She knew that this was a completely different Mikaela, one that was brought out by the infernal sword that he was gripping so tightly in his right hand.

"Snap out of it Blue! This isn't you! That sword—its—its messing with your head!" Scarlett called from her position on the floor.

 **"** **Argh! Don't you get it!? This is who I really am!"** he exclaimed defiantly.

"No its not and you know it!" Scarlett refuted his former claim.

 **"** **Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! What the hell do you know!?"** Mikaela grabbed his head in frustration, almost as if there was an argument going on deep within the crevices of his mind. Knowing that her attempts at reaching him were starting to work, Scarlett kept on calling for the Mika she knew.

"I know that the Mikaela I know is actually a pretty nice guy when he isn't brooding and that he will do whatever he can to protect the people close to him! He also isn't a bloodthirsty killer!"

 **"** **Argghhh! You annoying little—I know how to shut you up!"** Mikaela said crazily as he raised his weapon to the air. **"** **Let's see you talk after I sever your head from your body!"**

"Uhh—Mika if you can hear me, now would be a good time to come back to me! Other you is going kind of crazy right now! MIKAELA!" She shouted as the blonde vampire closed in on her.

 **"** **He can't hear you! It's just you and me now—and in a few moments there's going to be one less person around here. So, prepare—"** his sentence was cut off by the vicious slap that Scarlett had delivered to him. **"** **Ah! A feisty one you are. No matter, that just makes for a more exciting kill."** He commented whilst staring into her one exposed red eye with his two black orbs. Stepping back to give himself ample room to strike, Mikaela prepped his demonic broadsword to put an end to the red-head once and for all.

"Mikaela listen to me, you've got to fight it. This power, it's turning you into someone that you aren't. Please, Mikaela! You're stronger than this!" She called one last time hoping that she'd finally get through. She received a response that only spurred her fears forward, as her possessed friend laughed gutturally.

 **"** **Really, he can't hear you. There's no use in trying to reach him anymore. Besides, I finally give him the power he needs to see his goals through. You couldn't possibly understand. So why don't you make like a good girl and be quiet? I promise you, I'll make things a lot quicker if you listen."** He replied with a smirk. It boggled Scarlett's mind seeing that even with Mikaela's face, the being controlling him could be someone completely different. **"** **Well it's been nice, but I've got to get going now, so this is the part when you die!"** He screamed as he brought the sword racing to her neck. She cringed when she felt the hot steel connect with her olive colored skin, but that was as far as the blade came.

"Scarlett—what's going on? Why did I just—" he'd never get an answer to his question as he received a nasty blow to the back of his head, rendering him unconscious.

"Well, well Mika you have certainly been a busy boy! To think that my seraph servant actually procured a Weapon of Origin! You have certainly made me very proud." Came the voice of an infamous pink-haired vampire.

"Krul." Scarlett said when she realized just who'd knocked her ally unconscious. "How long have you been here? Surely you didn't just arrive just now. It isn't really your style." Scarlett said sarcastically.

"My-my, Scarlett you've seen better days." She chuckled to herself. "And you are absolutely right. Who knew you were so intuitive?" Krul answered mockingly.

"Just answer the question already. How long have you been here?" The red-haired vampire said impatiently.

" _Tsk-tsk_ as strong-headed as ever I see. If you really must know, I've been here the entire time. Why? Does it really matter?" Krul turned her head slightly, as if she was put off by how questioning Scarlett was being.

"He could have died you know. If you really cared about him the way you say you did, he would have never have had to have gone through this. You could have just retrieved the weapon yourself and offered it to him." She voiced her opinion on the matter.

"That's what you were for. To ensure that my precious Mikaela didn't die. Besides, how would he get stronger if I just handed everything to him? You know that as well as I do, after all it wasn't that long ago when you and I wandered into a chamber just like this one. Too bad for poor—"

"Shut up. We agreed to never talk about that day again, don't act like you'd forgotten our agreement Krul." Scarlett snapped.

"My apologies. Slip of the tongue I guess. Anyways, it would seem that you've accomplished your mission so your payment is in order. I've arranged for—"

"Wait." Scarlett said.

"Oh?" Krul answered with a devious smile on her lips. "What is it?"

"I'd like to stay with him. Keep a watchful eye, in case… he ever loses control." Scarlett said quickly. Truth be told, that was when of the hardest things that she'd ever have to say.

"What is this?" Krul laughed in amusement. "Miss Scarlett has actually taken a liking to my servant? You'd really give up your freedom for him? Definitely something I didn't see coming there Scarlett. Then again, you never cease to amaze. Well, what kind of person would I be to deny you this request? Sure, I don't see the harm in it. Just don't blow your cover. He can be pretty deadly when he's angry, something I'm sure you already know."

"I won't." the red-headed vampire answered.

"Ah yes, I'm sure you won't. Well, since we have all that taken care of I'll be heading back. I'm sure Ferid is planning something as we speak and I'd be damned if I let that fool get the best of me. I'll have a few vampire knights come and take Mikaela back to his home. When he comes to, make sure he remembers as little as possible from his encounter with his other 'him' as you so elegantly referred to it. Actually I almost forgot. There is something that I need to tell you about Mikaela. Come Scarlett, there is much to discuss and little time."

"What about him?" Scarlett gestured over to the unconscious form of Mikaela.

"The knights are already on their way. Weren't you listening? Now we really should be off, before he comes to and sees us together." She ordered as she turned to leave.

"You go on ahead. I'll swing by the castle when I get a chance. Besides, I'm not really in the best shape to be heading anywhere." Scarlett replied.

"You do have a point. Hmm, well suit yourself then. See you around… Scarlett." The pink-haired queen said as she vanished into the shadows.

 _"_ _Could she be any more annoying?"_ Scarlett thought to herself as she propped up against a boulder. She cast one sideward glance towards Mikaela and smiled. When she agreed to Krul's suicide mission, she was almost positive that her newest pet would be killed like the others before him. Then she actually met him and he was unlike any of the others that came before him. There was just something special about that blonde-haired and blue-eyed vampire. He did manage to take down a demon guardian, with a little help of course, but that was more than most could say. Maybe he really was the one Krul has been searching for. _"_ _Oh Blue… how little you really know."_ She thought before fatigue had finally caught up with her and she passed out in her very spot.

 **A/N:** And Chapter ten ladies and gents! Before I get into my little rant: REVIEW RESPONSE TIME!

 ** _Ryujomaru15:_** **First, I'd like to thank you for ALL of your reviews and suggestions. Really, they've helped me out a lot in the writing process. I'm glad you are enjoying the story and I do hope that this chapter satisfies your expectations as much as the others did! (Thanks for the Weapon of Origin design idea! Way better than the original design I'd thought up. Haha!)**

 ** _Tyler Swaglord:_** **Okay… first of all awesome name. Just had to get that out there, lol but hey I'm glad you love the fic! I tried to get this up as soon as possible, but you know life likes to throw curveballs for reasons yet unknown… so I hope I didn't make you wait too long! Thank you for review and I look forward to hearing from you as the chapters continue to roll out!**

 ** _NaMikaaa:_** **Ask and you shall receive! Here is chapter ten and good news… MORE IS ON THE WAY! Thank you for the review and I hope that this chapter satisfies your desire for more!**

Alright… I believe that was all of them! So, Seraphans in the time since my last update, we hit 40 followers and this story hit 5,000 views! WOOOO! I have to tell you guys… this action heavy chapter was very hard for me to write. Geez why are action scenes so difficult? Let me know how it went and please don't hold back! In any case, seeing as how this was the tenth chapter and Shinoa's been absent for quite a while…so I decided to bring her back! So expect more of her as these chapters continue to roll out. I also decided to extend the length of this arc by a few chapters in order to fit in everything I'd like to work in before my planned time-skip. That seems to be about all I can tell you at the moment… I mean… Scarlett and Krul working together? CONSPIRACY! Then there is Yuichiro and his mysterious attacker from the chapter ago… MYSTERIES! Oh… and then there is Shi and Shinoa... DRAMA! What's going to happen? Who knows? (I knows hehehe!) As always if any of you have any suggestions, comments, questions, or concerns please feel free to leave a review or shoot me a PM! Until next time Seraphans, Frosty out!


	11. Chapter 11: Lykaios

Disclaimer: I do not own **_Seraph of the End or any of its characters!_**

"Speech"

 _"_ _Thoughts"_

 ** _Warning:_** _This next scene may be a little intense for some readers. Please read with caution._

Chapter 11: Lykaios

The room was a dull grey, devoid of everything but a toilet and a bed. He didn't know where he was. Hell, he didn't know who he was. The room was so quiet that he could hear the beating of his heart like the bass on a pair of speakers. That rhythmic _du-dum du-dum_ was almost maddening. _"_ _What's going on? Where am I?"_ Questions that were never to be answered. He just sat motionless on that plain grey bed, waiting for something, for anything to happen.

 _Du-dum._

 _Du-dum._

 _Du-dum._

Suddenly the wall slid open and in came two tall figures dressed in hazmat suits.

 _Du-dum. Du-dum. Du-dum._

 _Du-dum. Du-dum. Du-dum._

That primitive feeling of fear kicked in. He was certain that he'd never seen these people in his life before, but yet something inside of him was screaming for him to run. To get as far away as possible. His body had a different plan however, as all sense of control left him. He was left completely to the mercy of these individuals.

"Yuichiro Hyakuya, come." One of the figures ordered. The boy named Yuichiro didn't know who or where that voice came from as it seemed to come from everywhere around him. A part of him wanted to stay within the dull grey room while another part was curious to see what was lying beyond the walls. He wouldn't get the choice to choose himself however, as he was yanked to his feet by the larger of the two figures and dragged out of the room. He wanted to scream but something deep down told him not to. A feeling that felt so familiar, like he'd been through this before but he just couldn't remember it.

They ended up in a small room filled with dozens of monitors, medical supplies, and an operating table. The small boy was dumped unceremoniously onto the operating table and strapped in. He struggled against the straps but to no avail. He wasn't going anywhere.

 _Du-Dum. Du-Dum. Du-Dum. Du-Dum. Du-Dum._

 _Du-Dum. Du-Dum. Du-Dum. Du-Dum. Du-Dum._

His heart was beating so fast and loud that he was almost certain that the people in the hazmat suit could hear it. Then it all came back to him. What the room was for and what these people were going to do to him.

"NO LET ME OUT OF HERE PLEASE! DON'T DO IT ANYMORE! I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE! I WANT TO GO HOME! PLEASE! LET ME GO! I BEG YOU!" He kicked and squirmed furiously, determined to break out of this hellhole. The doctors rushed over to him but made no move to stop him. The smaller of the two leaned in close and in a calm voice stated firmly:

"Behave or else." The tone sent a chill down Yuichiro's spine, but did little to comfort him. It only made him writhe around more violently. The two doctors nodded at one another and went back to their respective monitors.

"NO PLEASE! I'LL STOP! I PROMISE! PLEASE! I WON'T DO IT ANYMORE! I WON'T, I WON'T, I WON'T, I SWEAR! PLEASE!" Yu screamed at the top of his lungs. The two doctors turned their respective switches and powered on the machine hovering over Yuichiro. Looking at each other they both watched in fascination as their little experiment was about to take place. The small boy didn't know what was louder, the sound of the machine or the beating of his heart.

 _Du-Dum._

 _Du-Dum._

 _Du-Dum._

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

When he awoke from his nightmare, Yuichiro found himself pouring in sweat. Never before had he felt so terrified in his life. Everything felt so real, like it was some sort of distant memory that he wanted so desperately to forget about.

 _"_ _So, you're back."_ Asuramaru said from atop his position on the sword.

 _"_ _Back? Where did I go?"_ Yu asked as he finally took in his surroundings. He found it strangely odd that he'd woken up within his subconscious and not in reality. Thinking that the memory was just another one of Asuramaru's tricks, Yuichiro prepared himself for anything that the demon might try and pull. This detail did not go unnoticed by the former vampire, who still had yet to answer his host's question.

 _"_ _Typical."_ The demon responded irritably. _"_ _Humans can be so—forgetful."_ He giggled as he hopped off the black and green sword with a large smile plastered on his face. The look was enough to irk the vampire slayer, which pleased the vampire demon greatly. _"_ _Why are you looking at me like that? Don't tell me you think that I had something to do with that little memory of yours now."_

 _"_ _Oh really? Then who did?"_ Yuichiro asked.

 _"_ _Beats me, but whoever triggered that memory of yours is pretty damn good. I mean I thought I hit you right where it hurt with Mikaela and the others, but now that I know that—"_

 _"_ _Don't even think about it!"_ Yuichiro warned. When the demon just smiled back at him with his tilted head, Yu just grunted in irritation. After all, there really wasn't much he could do stop him if he tried and if he threatened him, Asuramaru surely would have just laughed it off. These were the times that he regretted getting a Black Demon series. Then, out of nowhere it hit him. Asuramaru knew about all of these memories! _"_ _Hey!"_ he called to the demon whom had his back turned to him.

 _"_ _What do you want now?"_ Asuramaru said as he turned to face his host.

 _"_ _You know what that memory is about don't you?"_

 _"_ _I may know a thing or two about them. Why?"_ Asuramaru answered cautiously. It was like he didn't want to talk about the memories, but then again his eyes were practically begging Yuichiro to continue asking these questions about the mysterious vision.

 _"_ _What was that place and who were those people?"_ Yuichiro asked.

 _"_ _You mean you haven't put two and two together yet? Wow, you really are stupid."_ The demon replied much to Yu's annoyance.

 _"_ _What the hell am I supposed to put together!? None of it made any sense! Hell, I don't even know if that was real, so are you going to tell me what that was or not!?_ " Yuichiro spouted angrily. He wasn't in the mood to engage in a game of twenty questions that would ultimately get him nowhere with a demon that loved to cause him discomfort. All he wanted were answers and he wanted them now.

 _"_ _Maybe some other time. I'm busy right now. Besides, wouldn't you rather save that 'girlfriend' of yours than spend the day listening to me?"_ Asuramaru responded sarcastically. The demon knew he'd succeeded in both delaying answering the topic and in agitating his host when the vampire slayer grunted in frustration and disappeared from his own subconscious. Truth be told, Asuramaru didn't know about those memories or even what they had to do with. He was just as surprised as Yu when he first set his eyes upon that dull grey room. Hell, for all he knew the memories could have just been his own, from a time when he was more than just a demon in a sword. A time when he was formidable vampire, Asura Tepes.

"Yu! You're awake! What in the hell happened?" Mitsuba said the moment Yuichiro rejoined the land of the living. For the second time, Yu took in his surroundings and found himself in a small dimly lit room surrounded by his team, Julie, and two other people he hadn't seen before.

"Well, I was kind of hoping that you could tell me. Only thing I remember is arguing with you and then somebody said my name and everything went dark from there." He explained. The green-eyed teen decided it was best to not tell his comrades about the vision, at least for now in order to ensure that they focused on their mission and not his well-being. Besides, he wasn't particularly fond of recounting that horrific tale anyway. Mitsuba, Yoichi, and Julie all looked at each other for a split second before Yoichi decided to speak up.

"Well, I just think that the effects of the Village's darts got to you again and you passed out because there was no-one else in the room but us." The bow-user said somewhat uneasily. Julie and Mitsuba both nodded their heads in unison and at that moment, Yu knew that something wasn't right. Before he could pursue the matter any further however, the Village Grandmaster stepped in and with him were all of their cursed gear.

"Glad to see that you are finally awake. I take it that you feel much better now?" The elderly man asked in what sounded like genuine concern. Regardless, Yu still wasn't too happy about how he was treated earlier.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" He answered. Naturally, the remark earned him a sharp jab in the ribs from Mitsuba who couldn't believe that he was still hung up on that.

"Sorry Grandmaster sir, please forgive him. He can be—"

"No, no please no apologies. I can understand why he is angered. I would be too if I were in his shoes. Please just try to understand that it was merely just a precaution and nothing else. Perhaps these may ease some of the tension that has built up between us?" He said as he offered Team Mitsuba back their cursed gear. Having his katana back in his hands was indeed comforting, but he was still skeptical about the villages' methods towards him. Nonetheless, he chose not to make a bigger deal about it. After all, if they tried anything now he could teach them a lesson!

"Alright, well I take it you didn't just give us these back out of the kindness of your heart. What's the deal?" Yuichiro said right as he sheathed his katana. He could practically feel the daggers that Mitsuba's eyes were sending him, but he didn't pay it much attention.

"Straight and to the point. I like that. Well I take it that you've already met the additional members of your team then?" The Grandmaster replied.

"Additional members?" Yuichiro, Mitsuba, and Yoichi all said in confusion.

"Yes, Julie, Aeon, and Crowe. I'm sure you are already familiar with Julie here, but I took it upon myself to ensure that you had the proper back-up and members in this crucial mission." He informed.

"With all due respect sir, I believe that me and my fellow squad mates are more than capable of handling whatever task your people have in store for us. Besides, we are all trained military and the additional men may just get in the way." Mitsuba argued.

"I thought about that and my decision stands. While you and your team may be better trained, my people know how to navigate these cave systems which is essential in the success of your mission. They are also more than capable of handling themselves in a fight and will take care to stay out of your team's way." The Grandmaster countered. Knowing full well that arguing would be a lost cause, Mitsuba decided not to argue any further. "Now that we have that cleared up. Let's go ahead and discuss the details of our arrangement. Please, follow me." The newly formed six-man squad did as they were told and followed the Grandmaster through winding halls until they ended up back outside.

"Alright old man, we've followed you all the way out here and you still haven't said a word. Are you going to tell us what we have to do or not?" Yuichiro said impatiently. Although Mitsuba and Yoichi didn't say anything, they too were feeling like their time was being wasted. Shinoa didn't have all the time in the world after all.

"Right you are. Guess there is no use in delaying it any longer. What you and your squad mates need for your friend lies at the end of an old cave entrance that my people have sealed off and kept watch over for generations. If this were a different time, I would have been obliged to send you people away or have you killed. Things are different now, as the object my people were tasked with protecting has turned on us. The Lykaios have begun killing my people and forcing us to take refuge here, in one of the long forgotten villages of our ancestors. The arrangement is simple. Eliminate the Lykaios and the weapon is yours."

"Um, excuse me but what exactly is a Lykaios?" Yoichi asked.

"They are the wolf people." Julie finally spoke up.

"Wolf people? You're kidding right? First vampires and now we are fighting werewolves?" Yuichiro said in disbelief.

"Yuichiro, I believe that you misunderstood what I was trying to—"

"Julie, allow me." The Grandmaster interrupted. "The Lykaios are what you people have come to call vampires, except they are different."

"Different how? A bloodsucker is still a bloodsucker." Yuichiro stated.

"My people and the Lykaios have lived peacefully with one another for generations."

"You mean you actually lived with vampires before the apocalypse?" Mitsuba said incredulously. After witnessing first-hand the atrocities that the fangs were capable of, she and the rest of her squad doubted that the villagers lived peacefully.

"Yes, and everything was peaceful. They were no different than us you see, save for the fact that they had a particular obsession with blood. However, instead of drinking our blood they drank the blood of animals. For many years our people lived in harmony, until the day of the apocalypse. It was like something inside of them snapped and that was when the first massacre happened."

"First massacre? You mean there were more?" Yuichiro said.

"Yes and you and your friends saw the most recent one when you first arrived here. Now are there any more questions before you depart on your mission?" The Grandmaster asked.

"Yeah, I'm still not understanding how or why you still refer to the vampires as wolf people. Besides those claw marks that I saw back in that other village couldn't have possibly come from a vampire. What aren't you telling us?" Yuichiro questioned.

"Do you know what happens to vampires that don't feed?" He responded.

"Yeah, don't they starve and turn into demons or something?" Yoichi answered.

"You are partially correct. I see there is still more that you do not yet understand about vampires. In our many years of coexistence with the Lykaios, my people have learned a lot about them. Unfortunately, I do not have the luxury to sit around and lecture you about everything we have come to learn, so I will tell you what you need to know. Based off of what you understand, the Lykaios take a unique demon form because they do not drink human blood. We refer to them as the wolf people because of their preference of wearing wolf fur coats and their ferocious nature. Be wary, these beings have long since lost any sense of humanity and seek only to kill. They are animalistic and deadly. Just because they do not think like you and I, does not mean they are to be underestimated. Their strength is in numbers. Do not let your guard down and stick together. That is the best advice that I can give you. I'm sorry that is all I can tell you at the moment as I am needed elsewhere." He finished.

"Well if that's it then we'll be on our way." Yuichiro said as he turned to face his squad and Julie's. "So, Julie where to?" Before the girl could speak however, Crowe answered in a rough and scratchy voice.

"I'll be leading the way. Try to keep up. Outsiders." He said the last word like he was bothered to escort some snotty VIP. That was the first time that anyone of the Mitsuba squad saw the other two members of their group's faces. Crowe had long slicked back black hair that he left in a small ponytail that dangled loosely over his cloak. He had a nasty scar that began at the lower left portion of his lip and ended at the base of his jaw. He was about Yuichiro's height and slightly paler in comparison. Aeon was of the same height and had a pretty plain face that consisted of the usual brown eyes, small nose, and compact lips. He had a bald and shiny head and looked like he never talked, period. Aeon followed after Crowe, leaving Julie with the members of Mitsuba squad.

"Don't mind him, he's just upset is all." Julie tried explaining.

"It's whatever. We usually get the assholes anyway!" Yuichiro joked, earning a smile from his two comrades and an uneasy one from Julie.

"Alright guys, come on. We should probably catch up before they leave us behind." Mitsuba said and with that, the group headed for the Forgotten Cave.

 ** _Meanwhile…_**

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING!" Raged a very upset Kimizuki. "YOU SENT THEM ON A MISSION WITHOUT ME!? WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO AROUND HERE!?" He continued on, much to the annoyance of Guren. The commander just ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath.

 _"_ _Easy Guren. Easy. Maybe if you don't say anything, the annoying little brat will go away."_ He told himself while impatiently tapping his finger on his desk. Kimizuki continued on his tirade about how unfair it was that he was the only one left behind. _"_ _Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH! Jeez! Does this kid ever shut up?"_ Finally fed up with the orange-haired vampire slayer's attitude, Guren rose in his seat, instantly silencing the angry teen. _"_ _Much better—_ Now that you've finally calmed down a bit, maybe I can explain to you why I had you stay behind. For one thing, you can barely walk. This mission that they are on requires speed, something you are lacking at the moment. And two—" Guren's sentence was cut off as Sayuri burst into the room looking worse for wear.

"Sorry to interrupt sir, but we have a situation in the hospital! It's Shinoa." She informed. Hearing his comrade's name instantly caught the orange-haired teen's attention and suddenly his whole attitude changed.

"Shinoa? What's wrong with her? Is she going to be okay?" He asked in genuine concern, a trait that not many people got to see from the proud vampire slayer. The sight brought a small smile to Guren's face as he saw just how close the members of Shinoa squad really were.

"She's going to be just fine, that is if you can help us." Guren said from his position behind the desk.

"Just say the word and I'll do whatever I can." Kimizuki answered.

"Well, since you are so eager to help us, go and grab your cursed gear and meet us in Shinoa's room ASAP." Guren ordered.

"My cursed gear? Why would I need that?"

"That's a good question that we don't have time to answer. Now go!" The commander barked. Kimizuki left the room as quickly as he could, leaving only Sayuri and Guren behind.

"Sir, do you really think that he can help us? I mean, he's still recovering from his previous injuries." Sayuri said in concern for the young teen.

"Yeah I know, but I know that he'll do whatever it takes to help out his comrade. It's that kind of mindset that we need right now." He replied while grabbing his cursed gear and leaving the room with Sayuri in a hurry.

"Alright then. So, what's the plan this time?" She asked as she tried to keep pace with him.

"Simple, we keep her occupied long enough for Kimizuki to do his thing and that should be the end of it. If all goes according to plan, it should only take ten seconds." Guren explained.

"Ten seconds? But how?" Sayuri said in confusion.

"Easy. Kimizuki's going to open the Devil's Coffin."

 ** _Forgotten Cave Entrance…_**

"So this is the place. We just got to move that giant rock and bam, we're in." Yuichiro said somewhat humorously.

"Keep your guard up. The Lykaios could be waiting to ambush us the moment we unseal the cave." Crowe said as he and Aeon walked over to the right side of the rock.

"I don't understand, if this cave is sealed up then how did the Lykaios get to you and your people? They wouldn't just break out and seal themselves right back up again would they?" Yoichi commented as he unsheathed his bow.

"My people and I wondered about that too. Eventually we discovered that there were multiple entrances to this cave. My people then did what they could to seal the other openings by any means necessary. A pointless sacrifice. That doesn't matter now though, they are gone and there is nothing we can do about it." Crowe replied.

"That's where you are wrong." Yuichiro said.

"I'm sorry, but I wasn't talking to you _Outsider."_ He spat at the half-demon. Before he was able to get into Yuichiro's face however, Julie intervened.

"Crowe! Stop this! We aren't going to get anywhere if we keep fighting like this. The Lykaios will pick us apart!" The small brunette gently pushed her fellow squad mate back. Mitsuba and Yoichi took their places next to Yu, as they already knew why he spoke out and they stood by him one-hundred percent. If Shinoa were present, she would have been proud to see that her team was finally on the same page.

"All I was going to say Crowe was that we can make sure that their sacrifice wasn't for nothing. Those are your people you are talking about. Have a little more respect." Yu said with crossed arms. As someone who'd lost his whole family before his eyes, he wasn't about to let someone else disrespect the sacrifices that the villagers made to ensure that their people lived to see another day. "Be mad at me all you want, but at the end of the day I'm going to make sure that we all get out of this alive. I've lost enough people in my life." Yu finished. Seeing the fire in Yuichiro's eyes calmed Crowe down somewhat, but he still harbored a bit of resentment towards the outsiders despite Yu's words. However, he knew that by being at odds with them, he'd only endanger the lives of his comrades.

"Just help us get the rock out of the way." He grunted as he turned his back to the group. Suddenly a fierce wind kicked up sending snow everywhere. The rock blocking the cave exploded and the resulting shockwave pushed Crowe back a couple of feet. Before he could deduce what got rid of the giant boulder, Mitsuba and her squad walked by him and his awestruck team.

"Piece of cake!" Mitsuba chimed as her group exchanged fist bumps. After finishing their small celebration, Mitsuba took on the role of squad leader and delivered orders like an experienced leader. "Yuichiro, take point. Yoichi and Aeon, try not to wander too far away from the group. If they have strength in numbers, the last thing we want is for you two to get overwhelmed. Crowe and Julie will bring up the rear and I will move around based on where I am needed. For now, I'll take point with Yu. Is that understood?" When no one made any arguments, the blonde teen nodded her head satisfactorily and motioned for them to move forward. Immediately, she felt butterflies in her stomach and was on total alert. With one final breath to calm her nerves, Mitsuba and company entered the dark and damp space that was the Forgotten Cave.

 ** _Meanwhile…_**

 _"_ _Shi! Ohhhhhh Shi! Why are you playing so hard to get? Come on! I'm practically irresistible!"_ Shinoa called while spinning around seemingly in total glee. Deep down that façade however, the purple haired girl was seriously worried. She'd always gotten along with Shi and now he was practically avoiding her. When no one wanted to be her friend, he was the only one she could ever talk to. At first he wasn't the happiest of spirits, hell he was a total jerk. Regardless, after she'd broken through to her demon, Shi had her back. It was a mutual understanding that very few could say had with their inner demon.

She wandered and wandered and still found no sign of the shady specter that she'd come to call Shi. _"_ _Well this is something. To think, he's grown resistant of me!"_ She joked to herself. Knowing that she wasn't going to find him, she decided it was best to just wait until he appeared to her. Sitting down in the middle of the wide expanse that was her subconscious, Shinoa let her mind drift.

 _"_ _I wonder what Yu and the others are up to right now. Hopefully they aren't being too reckless out there because of little old me."_ She frowned when the image of her family in danger popped into her head. As much as she wanted to believe that her group was kicking serious vampire ass, a part of her just felt like they were in some sort of trouble. This feeling of worry was still relatively new to her and she didn't know how to deal with it. Ever since Shinjuku, she's been at war with these new emotions that seemed to tug at her heart strings. A part of her hated it. The other part was intrigued by them. Until now, the only person she ever had to worry about was herself. Her own biological family disowned her and it seemed the entire world did too. Who wanted to be friends with a half-demon anyway? A lab rat. A damn experiment. Then she met _him._ Sure, the others were just as important to her, but _he, he was special._ For a while she denied it because in her mind, _"_ _there just was no way"_ , but then he kissed her or at least she thought he did. _"_ _He did, didn't he? Or was I just dreaming?"_ The purple haired girl just wasn't sure. _"_ _I'll just ask him the next time I see him. No! Wait, what am I saying!? That'd be totally weird. 'Like hey Yuichiro, just wanted to ask, did you kiss me?' Yeah that WOULD definitely make me look like a weirdo. Then again he already thinks that I'm a weirdo."_ She contemplated on what to do and just could not reach a decision. It was all just too much for her to handle. _"_ _Fighting the vampires is way easier than dealing with these stupid emotions!"_ She thought.

 _"_ _Looks like you have a lot on your plate. Why don't you just give in? Allow me to take over. I can get rid of all of these confusing feelings and give you the peace you desire."_ Shi said from all around her. If she was being honest, the thought of peace sounded very alluring. She was no fool, and knew exactly how Shi wanted to achieve that peace. Shinoa was not going to be giving up her body. She couldn't do that to her family. Besides, what would they be without her?

 _"_ _Ah! There you are. I was beginning to think that you'd forgotten about me! Well, now that you are here you and I have need to have a talk."_ She said somewhat sternly with her hands on her hips.

 _"_ _Talk? Sure. We can talk."_ The shadowy demon said with a ghastly grin. _"_ _But first, I'm going to need something from you."_

 _"_ _And what's that?"_ Shinoa asked. Before giving a reply, Shi sent a powerful shockwave toward his purple-haired host. The small vampire slayer barely managed to get out of the way of the attack in time. When she looked back, there was no sign of Shi anywhere. _"_ _Where the hell did he go now!?"_ She said as she tried to pinpoint his location. Just like before, she had no luck in locating her adversary. Then she felt it, the cold steel of her own scythe pressed against her back.

 _"_ _Your soul!"_ Shi hissed. Shinoa turned around as fast as she possibly could and found herself mere inches away from her cursed gear.

 ** _The Forgotten Cave…_**

When Yu pictured a cave, he imagined a dark and narrow space with little maneuverability. He never would have imagined that the cave would've been bright enough to make out nearly everything. This was in no doubt thanks to the dozens of holes that dotted the roof of the cave that stood a good forty feet from the ground. It was also wider than he'd thought it'd be. The only things that could hamper his mobility was how deep the snow was inside and the random columns of ice that looked like they were keeping the cave from collapsing in on itself. In an hour of traveling, the group had found very little signs of activity. They'd stumbled on the occasional claw markings and footprints, but nothing led them anywhere useful. So far, it looked like the place had been abandoned.

"So Julie, why do they call this place the Forgotten Cave?" Yu asked as she walked alongside him. Mitsuba had traded places with the village girl as a means to help build the relationship between her squad and theirs. The first switch was not a very good one, as Yuichiro had to spend a good thirty minutes of his time in awkward silence as he and Crowe led the group down into the caves. After that he worked with Aeon for another thirty minutes and as much as he tried to get the guy to talk he wouldn't. He'd only nod his head yes or no, with an occasional shrug here and there. Still, it beat hanging out with Crowe. Then he'd finally ended up with Julie and was relieved that he'd finally had someone he could actually work with.

"Because it was forgotten." She answered simply causing Yu to sweat drop. The look he gave her made her was priceless and she smiled knowing that she'd gotten him. "In all seriousness, I don't know why it's called the Forgotten Cave. It was what the vampires called it when we first discovered it. They had always warned us not to come here, told us it was filled with demons and monsters. Never would I have guessed that they were talking about their own people. I guess it was just something that they wanted to forget. Look at the trouble that caused us." She informed him while checking over another set of tracks. "Hey come here, these look fresh don't they?" She said. Yuichiro put a hand over his katana and glanced over at the new set of footprints. The foot in question had five distinct toes and was at least six inches wide and eleven inches long. With his enhanced eyes, Yu could tell that the tracks were made very recently and deduced that whatever made the tracks was either carrying something or was really big as the footprints were much deeper than the other ones they had discovered. When the rest of the group caught up with them, Yu relayed his findings and they all agreed to follow the new set of tracks.

"Alright everyone, if what Yuichiro says is true, then the enemy could still be lurking nearby. Keep your guard up and try to keep it quiet. Let's try and get the jump on these things and not the other way around. Yuichiro, Julie lead the way." Mitsuba ordered. Yu nodded and took point. His katana was primed and ready in the event that anything should pop up. He almost jumped when he heard Asuramaru's voice crackle in his head.

 _"_ _Hey, do you feel that?"_ His inner demon asked.

 _"_ _Feel what? The only thing I'm getting in here is a chill."_ The green eyed teen answered.

 _"_ _That power, it's incredible! I've never experienced anything like it!"_ He remarked.

 _"_ _It must be the Weapon of Origin then! We must be getting close if you can sense it."_ The vampire slayer paused and looked over to Yoichi, who seemed to have the same understanding of the situation as he did. So if Yoichi's demon felt it too, then they were definitely coming up upon their target. Even so, he couldn't help but feel like something wasn't right. All this time and no sign of the enemy.

 _"_ _I know what you are thinking and let me be the first to tell you that you and your friends are walking right into a trap. Looks like the Lykaios are smarter than the villagers thought. Your best option would be to turn around and get out of here. If that power source is even half as strong as I am sensing, you and your friends don't stand a chance. Why not run while you still can?"_ Asuramaru cooed.

 _"_ _Because Shinoa is counting on us and I'm not going to lose anyone else. Not if I can help it. I don't care what's at the end of this damn cave, if it gets in my way I'm cutting it down."_ Yu stated firmly.

 _"_ _Whatever, it's your funeral."_ The demon responded before seemingly vanishing from his consciousness. Despite his words, Yu couldn't help but feel like they were in way over their heads. Nothing added up. The Grandmaster said that the Lykaios were mindless beings, but in their entire time in the Forgotten Cave, it seems like the creatures have been deliberately avoiding them. As he pondered further on the subject, Crowe came forward and replaced Julie as his partner once again. Yu didn't even notice until the scarred teen spoke up.

"It's this way." He said as he guided the team down into another tunnel. Once again Yu's nose was assaulted by a familiar scent. One that he recognized from the village just before he entered that temple.

 _"_ _There it is again. Something is off, but what!?"_ Yuichiro tried everything he could to quell the feeling building up in his stomach. Nothing worked and when they reached the end of their tunnel, he had no other choice but to ignore the feeling, something he would come to regret. The tunnel opened up to a large cavern that housed an ancient looking temple in the middle. Yu walked forward to get a better look but was stopped by Crowe. "Hey what gives?" he asked.

"Look down." He informed the vampire slayer as they were at least twenty feet off the ground. Taking a step back, Crowe let Mitsuba squad get a better view of the temple and the surrounding area. They all marveled at the temple's beauty and could feel the power emanating from within. It was no doubt where the Weapon of Origin was located. All they had to do now was figure out a way to get down and retrieve it. Before they could devise a plan Mitsuba squad heard a distinct rustling noise behind them and all instinctively turned around with their weapons drawn. Instead of finding a Lykaios behind them they were greeted to the sight of Aeon holding Julie hostage and Crowe holding his weapon toward them. "Make any sudden moves and Julie here gets it. You Outsiders will do what I say when I say or else. Is that clear?"

"We're supposed to be a team. What the hell are you two doing!?" Mitsuba said, tightly gripping her battle axe. She wanted nothing more than to rip these two a new one, but she didn't want any harm to come to Julie. All she could do was glare and hope that maybe that would be enough to kill them.

"You still don't get it do you? Then again, no outsider ever does. Although, I do have to admit this is the first time we ever had to do it like this, no thanks to that loud-mouthed brat over there." He said as he gestured towards Julie. "Our path ends here, while your team's and this dumb bitch here lies down there. You see, the only reason we ever lived in peace with the Lykaios, was because we'd feed them. At first we offered them up animal flesh and things were great. The damned bloodsuckers didn't bother us and we didn't bother them. Then someone in the big city decided to play with something they shouldn't have, and bam! Apocalypse! Suddenly the Lykaios didn't want just any old meat anymore. Oh no, they wanted human flesh. The fuckers got us good too. It was in the middle of the night, we hardly stood a chance! Aeon here lost his tongue and his parents and well, you can see what happened to me. So in order to ensure our survival, we made sacrifices. Whether it was our own people or any Outsider dumb enough to wander into our lovely abode, didn't matter. They eat and they are happy, the Grandmaster's happy and the people of our village live in blissful ignorance!"

"You bastards! I swear I'll kill you!" Yuichiro took a step forward but stopped when he saw Aeon press his blade harder down on Julie's neck. Blood trickled from the wound and she writhed in pain.

"Hey, take it easy. You'll attract the Lykaios." He teased. "Now that you know why we brought you here, could you please make it easier on the rest of us and jump?" He paused and waited for Mitsuba squad to do as he said. When they failed to act, he motioned for Aeon to make an example of Julie. Before he could the brunette bit down on his hand and disarmed him but, ultimately was unable to break free of his grasp.

"Don't do it! Don't worry about what happens to me! The moment you jump they are going to swarm you! Please do—" Crowe delivered a knockout blow to Julie with the butt of his sword. That was the final straw for Mitsuba squad as they lurched forward and engaged the two traitors of the village. Yuichiro took Crowe while Mitsuba and Yoichi dealt with Aeon.

As infuriated as he was, raw power was not going to be enough for Yu to take down Crowe. The villager was matching him strike for strike as they fought dangerously close to the edge of the cave. The sound of clashing metal reverberated throughout the cave, attracting the attention of the nearby Lykaios who were anxiously awaiting their next meal. The wolf people, as the villagers described them stuck true to their namesake. Their constant exposure to the snow left their skin a dull grey color and their wild and unkempt hair escaped from the hoods of their wolf cloaks. Even in his battle with Crowe, Yu caught sight of their vicious claws and could hear the sound of them scratching at the rock wall below in desperate attempts to reach the two swordsman. Their claws were thick and looked like they were encased in a dense layer of ice. If he lost this duel with Crowe, Yuichiro knew he was going to be in for a violent death.

Despite being a long range fighter, Aeon was putting up a pretty good fight against the two vampire slayers. In such a tight corridor, Yoichi did not want to risk shooting in arrow in fear of hitting one of his teammates. Instead he used his bow as a melee weapon and tried to give Mitsuba the opening she needed to finish the fight. However, the villager was surprisingly elusive and danced away from each of their synchronized attacks. After another failed attack on the duo's part, Aeon was able to put enough distance between himself and his opponents that he made a move for Julie's unconscious form. The move would prove to be his undoing as Yoichi was able to fire a shot into his body, but not before he scooped the girl up and tossed her over to the opening of the cave where Yuichiro and Crowe were currently fighting. She landed near the edge of the cave next to Crowe who seized the opportunity by parrying one of Yuichiro's blows, giving him the time he needed to kick Julie's body down to the awaiting Lykaios.

"NOO!" Yuichiro yelled as he leapt off the edge of the cave after her. He was lucky enough to catch her and landed just to the right of the angry mob of wolf people. He had his work cut out for him as they all turned their attention away from the ridge and converged on him.

"Yuichiro!" Mitsuba screamed as she rushed over to finish what he'd started with Crowe. Although he was more skilled than the blonde haired teen, he could only do so much against two opponents. It was either dodge Yoichi's arrow or her battle axe. He was dead either way, but at least he and Aeon managed to take care of two of their targets. After Crowe was taken care of Mitsuba turned her attention down to the bottom of the cave, where Yu was struggling to hold off against the dozens of Lykaios that were swarming him and Julie's position. "Yoichi, provide cover fire from here on the ridge! I'm going down there to help him out!" She ordered as she leapt off the edge with her battle axe primed for an explosive attack. When she landed her spirit erupted out from her axe in a tidal shockwave that vaporized several of the altered vampires. Yoichi followed up by taking out a few Lykaios of his own with several well placed shots that gave Yuichiro enough breathing room to activate his special ability.

"Asura-Kanon!" he cried as dozens of swords appeared behind him in a fan-like shape. Now that he had some back-up, Yu got straight to work on mowing down as many of the wolf-people as he could. In the end, the creatures were still fangs and thus were susceptible to the group's cursed gear. The mob didn't stand a chance against the combined efforts of the Mitsuba squad, whom were working together in perfect unison. One after another the Lykaios fell to the barrage of arrows and slashes. As their numbers continued to thin out, a number of them began to retreat back to whatever crevice they'd crawled from. Thinking that they'd successfully pushed them back, the squad cheered in victory. When the ground beneath them began to shake violently however, they knew that their victory was going to be short-lived as the temple began to collapse in on itself.

"No! Yuichiro if that temple goes so does our chances of bringing Shinoa back!" Mitsuba warned in worry. Knowing full well that the success of their mission was on the line, Yuichiro raced forward toward the temple as fast as he could. In spite of his efforts he was too late there was nothing but a pile of rubble. Before he could pound the ground in frustration another earthquake rattled the cave.

 _"_ _That power… it is still here. Yuichiro! MOVE NOW!"_ Asuramaru shouted in the nick of time, as Yu was able to leap away from what would've been a fatal blow. When the vampire slayer finally set his sights on what had attacked him, he was at a loss for words.

 _"_ _Asuramaru… what is that thing?"_ He asked as he retreated back toward Mitsuba and Yoichi.

 _"_ _That was a Guardian, a protector of the Weapon of Origin."_ His demon informed him. When Yuichiro finally made it back to his squad, he wasn't surprised to see that they had the same reaction that he did when he first laid eyes on the behemoth. It stood at least eight feet tall and was the true iteration of what the villagers called the Lykaios. Fur lined almost every place of its body, save for its forearms, calves, and snout. Its red eyes rivaled the color of blood, something the group was sure of that it wanted of them. Weird blue veins ran along the major points of the creature's body and met up at one focal point on the monster's chest. In its hands was a scythe of true craftsmanship. Its base was coated white and wrapped at different points with black cloth that had various inscriptions of an ancient language written on them that had since been lost to time. The end of the base had a sharp spear-like point that had a blue jewel delicately placed at its center. The blade itself was serrated and curved outward just like Shinoa's old scythe, except instead of the green edge was a distinct blue one. Unlike the base, the head of the scythe was coated a deep black and emanated a cool mist, like it was forged from ice itself.

"Well, the only thing standing between us and Shinoa is that demon, so are you ready?" Yuichiro asked a still stunned Mitsuba.

"I don't know what's bigger, Kimizuki's ego or that thing." She remarked. Said orange haired teen sneezed in his room as he grabbed his cursed gear from its spot. The jab was enough to make Yuichiro laugh in amusement despite their current situation. The duo was also taken by surprise when Julie slowly started to had wake up.

"Am I just dreaming or is there a really big monster walking toward us!?" She screeched as she finally got a bearing on where she was.

"For our sake, let's hope that you really are dreaming." Mitsuba joked. "Yuichiro, put on your headset, this way we can communicate with Yoichi up there." She told him as she fished around in her pack for a spare for Julie. When she found it she handed it to the girl and motioned for her to take position behind her and Yuichiro. The group tested the radio headset and when they found that it worked Mitsuba gave Yoichi his first set of orders. Acknowledging that he'd received them, he readied his bow once more and awaited the signal.

The blonde teen watched the beast's lumbering form closely, waiting for the perfect opportunity to begin their assault. The floor started to shake as the monster came closer and closer upon their position. Now that it had its sight set on its three victims, the Guardian let loose a battle roar that shook the heavens themselves.

"NOW YOICHI!" She cried as he let loose as many arrows as he could. Yuichiro and Mitsuba burst forward under the barrage of arrows, hell bent on bringing down the monster that stood in the way of their mission to save their friend.

 ** _A/N:_** Been quite a while hasn't it? Sorry for the long wait Seraphans, but with finals and work it was difficult for me to find time to write. Now, there is no more finals because well, I KICKED THOSE FINALS' ASS! So that means instead of studying the art of communication and psychology, I can focus on writing again! HOOPLA! In my absence, I noticed that we climbed to over 7,000 views and we hit 60 followers! ANOTHER HOOPLA! With that being said, there were quite a number of reviews left since my last update, so REVIEW RESPONSE TIME!

 ** _Ryujomaru15:_** _Thank you for the feedback! I really appreciate all your help with this story. I hope this chapter was just as satisfactory as the other ones and I look forward to hearing from you again! Thanks a bunch!_

 ** _machidahiyori:_** _Glad you like the story and don't worry, the Yuunoa moments will come soon enough. I promise! Thank you for your review!_

 ** _DPSS:_** _Why there they are! Lol, good question though. You see I watch the English dub of the anime (I know… so lame) and so I didn't really know how to implement their abilities since I never saw them in action. Guess I didn't want to disappoint. But! They are here now and I feel like they came in at the right time don't you think? Thanks for reviewing and I hope that you continue to enjoy the story._

 ** _starrynightdreamer02:_** _Well first I'd like to thank you for your long review and I'm glad to know that you love this story. Means I'm doing something right! Lol. Yeah, the Yuunoa moments are a bit lacking, not gonna lie but that'll just make the reunion all that much sweeter! As for Scarlett, don't worry, she's going to be sticking around for a while I assure you. I have plans for that one I do! Oh and please don't kill Julie. I kind of need her at the moment. Lol thanks again and I hope that you continue to enjoy the story!_

 ** _Western-Otaku:_** _Yeah I agree with you, DAMN THEM! Lol they can be so fun to write sometimes. Anywho, yeah I'd be pretty pissed of I was in Yu's position too! I don't blame the guy at all. Thanks for your review and I hope that you continue to find enjoyment in the story, despite its cliffhangers!_

Was that all of them? I think so. Thanks again to all of you for leaving a review and to all of you who have favorited and followed this story. I never would have thought that I'd come this far in writing a story. So to all you Seraphans out there, Happy Holidays and if you were wondering what to get me, well a review would be just fine! Lol! Take care guys and remember to PM me or leave a review if you have any questions, concerns, suggestions, or comments. Until next time Seraphans, Frosty out!


	12. Chapter 12: Battle in the Cave

Disclaimer: I do not own **_Seraph of the End or any of its characters!_**

"Speech"

 _"_ _Thoughts"_

Chapter 12: Battle in the Cave

The cold steel sliced through her delicate skin like a knife through butter. Nevertheless, Shinoa gritted her teeth and danced away with a just a minor gash. Fortunate, given that she was caught almost completely off guard. "Aww Shi, if I didn't know any better I'd say that you were trying to kill me." She stated the obvious. _"_ _I need to buy time. He's finally come out of his ethereal form, but I don't stand a chance without a weapon. All I can do now is hope to throw him off."_

"Yes." The spirit twirled the scythe around to flick what very little blood was on it off.

"Still the neat freak I see. What's the deal? I thought you and I were going to be best friends forever!" Shinoa pretended to be heartbroken. The demon didn't give much her much of a reaction, save for what she recognized as a different battle stance.

"Your incompetence was almost the death of us. Back when the two of us first made our bond you and I made an arrangement." Shi reminded his host. Unfortunately for him, the girl still seemed lost.

"What arrangement?" Shinoa asked, now curious as to what her inner demon was referring to. She tried on her own to remember, but everything to her seemed fuzzy. Her childhood was not something she felt was worth remembering and so all of her memories from back then were kind of a daze. Whether that was because she didn't want to remember or because she couldn't remember was anyone's guess. Either way, she felt that it was for the best.

"I figured that the details of our arrangement may have slipped your mind. Humans are so predictable. In any case, I need not waste more time by explaining myself to you. Your body is mine and there is little that you can do to stop me. I would much rather not hurt you, but if you continue to resist, you will force my hand."

"Shi, I love you and all but I think what happens to my body is my decision. Besides you'd totally ruin my image." She said with a smirk. Behind the scenes, Shinoa's mind was racing. She understood that the cursed gear and its host were locked in a constant battle for control. While some may have been more lax than others, their ulterior motive remained the same. Still, Shi and her had been bonded for quite some time and as far as she knew, they always got along. It was the reason she was so resistant to the abilities and effects of other cursed gear.

"Still resilient as ever. Oh." The demon paused, "Looks like your friends are here to stop me again. The time for talk is over Shinoa, you have stalled long enough. Give in while you still can!" Leaping forward, Shi raised the scythe over his head and prepared to bring an end to his master.

For as long as she could possibly remember, Shinoa had been alone. Who'd want to be friends with a lab experiment anyway? A half-human and demon hybrid born of her birth father's twisted delusions. They kept her under lock and key, only bringing her out occasionally to perform for her father. Try as she did, she never was able to impress him. It hurt. Then they did unspeakable things to her, the type of things that scarred people for life. That hurt too. The cycle repeated itself over and over again with the same result. She was never good enough. The 'punishments' helped her to realize that. Then one day instead of bringing her to demonstrate her abilities to Tenri, they just tossed her out like trash. That hurt the most.

The closer Shi got to his target, the more he realized that something was amiss. Shinoa bothered not to get out of the way. Her face wore a blank expression, something that he'd never seen in all of his years bonded to her. _"_ _No matter! It is what must be done. I am sorry, Shinoa."_ The demon steeled himself before bringing the scythe down with blinding speed. Instead of seeing blood fly, Shi himself was sent flying overhead where he crashed into the floor. _"_ _What just happened? There is no way she could've…",_ glancing over to his adversary, he found his worst suspicions to be confirmed.

No longer was Shi looking at the girl with rosy eyes and carefree persona. One lone horn had sprouted from her right temple and she was enveloped in a dark purple aura that was powerful enough to send shivers down Shi's spine. Her warm and gentle eyes were replaced with fiery red ones and her trademark indigo hair was now black. One of her hands was wrapped around where the shaft met the blade of the scythe, giving Shi the necessary evidence to piece together how he ended up on his back. _"_ _It has finally come to fruition. The experiments… she wasn't a failure at all…_ _but how? After all this time, why now?"_

Wrenching the scythe from his grasp, Shinoa leapt back and spoke in a voice filled with passion and vigor. "I will protect what is mine! I have a family to go back to, a place—a place where I finally belong! I won't let you take that from me!" Tears flowed freely down her cheeks while her hair flowed gently along with her aura. "I didn't want it to come to this… but you—you made me remember…" she paused as the painful memories resurfaced. "I…I can't go back to that. For years I was nothing but a shadow to the Earth. Something that people could see but paid no attention too. Something that had nothing to call its own and existed as an extension of someone else. I'm done being that person. I don't want to be a shadow anymore." she gripped the scythe tightly and lunged forward, hair obscuring her face as she closed the distance between herself and Shi.

 ** _Meanwhile…_**

 _Dodge. Step left. Swipe. Swipe. Duck. Leap away. Block._ Yu played out the motions in his head as he went through each of them. Big as it was, the Guardian was surprisingly quick, something that the Mitsuba squad wished they knew before charging in under the cover of Yoichi's barrage of arrows. In one leap, the beast cleared Yoichi's onslaught and managed to get behind Julie, Yuichiro, and Mitsuba. The amount of snow kicked up made it difficult for Yoichi to get a clean shot and left his entire squad within the creature's mercy. Born of the ice, the monster had no trouble traversing the fog of powdery snow and into an exposed Julie.

Lucky for the girl she could pinpoint the exact location the Guardian was charging from because of its loud footsteps. Rolling out of the way of what would have been a fatal blow, Julie tried to attack but lost the beast again in the fog. She tried to track the sound of her foes footfall but had trouble picking up anything. Before she could begin to worry however, she heard Mitsuba call out from somewhere within the mist.

"Go Tenjiryū!" There was a loud whooshing sound before the entire fog was dispelled by Mitsuba's attack, revealing the demon's location. Currently, the Guardian was going toe-to-toe with Yuichiro who was amazingly holding his own against the beast. Julie ran to catch up with her in order to figure out their next plan of action. "Yoichi! Are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine! What's the plan now?" his voice crackled over the radio.

"Yu, keep him occupied just a little longer!" Mitsuba ordered.

"You got it!" He called happily over the radio.

"Alright, everyone else listen up! Here's the plan, Julie I want you to push in from the right the moment you see an opportunity. Be careful not to get in Yuichiro's way. Yoichi, do that arrow trick you used on Crowley and then shoot one at me." She relayed her plan.

"What!? Are you crazy? I'm not going to shoot—"

"Just do it! Trust me, I know what I'm doing! Fire the arrows on my signal, alright?"

"Fine." Yoichi reluctantly gave in.

"Alright, let's go!" Mitsuba cheered as she and Julie raced to get into position.

Yuichiro parried another one of the Guardian's heavy attacks and responded with a swift combo of his own making his adversary roar in frustration. Yu danced back as the creature did a tornado-like dance of swings with the scythe. Without the demon blood inside of him Yuichiro never would have been able to avoid an attack at that speed. He backed up right into the cave wall and ducked at the last possible second to avoid certain decapitation. Thinking he had a potential opening with the Guardian's scythe now embedded in the rock behind him, Yu brought up his sword only to have to guard himself from a bone-shattering punch from the behemoth. The sheer force of the blow was enough to kick up a small whirlwind of snow around the duo. Before the monster could overpower Yu in strength, Julie came and slashed at the creature's exposed abdomen. She smiled thinking that she'd caught the demon off guard only to find her attack deflected by a thick coating of ice armor.

 _"_ _The hell!? That wasn't there before!"_ She thought as the Guardian now had her in its sights. Fortunately, she didn't have to worry about a counter-attack as Yuichiro managed to deflect the punch onto the wall to his right, giving him the opening he needed to slash at one of the monster's exposed veins. Howling in pain, the Guardian reeled back a few feet, freeing the scythe in the process. "Nice!" Julie complimented the green-eyed vampire slayer as he joined up with her.

"Thanks, but this fight is far from over. Here he comes now!" Yu and Julie separated and prepared themselves to charge in from the right and left sides respectively. Given that they'd never worked as a team before, their timing was off and Yu came in just a second too early giving their enemy enough time to block both attacks. Before the duo could recover, the Guardian kicked Yu away and captured Julie in a death grip.

"Yuichiro! Julie! Damn it! Yoichi we have no choice, fire the arrows now!" Mitsuba said just before getting into position behind the demon and awaited Yoichi's third arrow to come her way. Just like she'd planned, the demon managed to deflect Yoichi's first shot with its scythe but took the second shot to the shoulder. Unfortunately, the arrow didn't break Julie free of the monster's grip and did little damage to the Guardian. _"_ _Alright, here it comes. I sure hope this works!"_ Mitsuba planted her left foot firmly onto the ground and readied her weapon. With a perfectly timed swing, Mitsuba propelled Yoichi's shot straight toward the behemoth's back with the combined powers of the duo's demons. An explosion rocked the cave sending the beast crashing into the ground with Julie in tow. _"_ _I can't believe that worked."_ Mitsuba thought incredulously.

"Did we get him?" Yoichi's voice brought Mitsuba out of her thoughts and back to the task at hand. The smoke had yet to clear, leaving everyone who witnessed the scene without an answer. Then she saw something moving toward her position, prompting the pig-tailed blonde to assume a defensive stance. She breathed a sigh of relief when it turned out to be Julie, who looked to come out of the whole ordeal with just a couple of scratches.

"Julie! Are you okay?" Mitsuba asked first in genuine concern. The brunette seemed to be in a daze still and answered only with a thumbs up. "What happened? Did we get him?"

The villager shrugged her shoulders before replying, "I have no idea. All I heard was this loud _boom!—_ and then all of a sudden I was flying through the air. When I finally gathered my senses, I walked through the puff of smoke and I found you."

"Hmm, Yoichi can you see anything?" Mitsuba asked the sniper.

"Nope. Until that smoke clears I'm just as blind as you—wait a second…" Yoichi paused.

"What!? What's going on? Do you see something?"

He continued to watch the smoke carefully. The bow user couldn't tell if his eyes were deceiving him or something was moving. It was slow and not nearly as tall as their foe, so he was a bit skeptical about what to do. Then it hit him, if he shot an arrow into the haze then maybe he could get a better view. Readying his bow, he spoke into his radio, "Mitsuba and Julie, I'm going to fire an arrow into the smoke and see if I can get a fix on the Guardian's position. Keep your eyes peeled just in case I miss anything."

"Good idea! Whenever you're ready." Mitsuba replied.

Having gotten the go-ahead from his squad leader, Yoichi pulled back the bowstrings and aimed for the middle of the cloud of smoke. "Alright, Gekkōin let's get this thing." He spoke softly to his cursed gear. As calm as he appeared to be, he couldn't stop the butterfly feeling welling up in his stomach. Something was off and he couldn't tell what. Pushing those feelings to the back of his mind, Yoichi fired from his perch within the cave. The moment he shot, was the moment he realized he'd made a grave mistake.

Mitsuba and Julie watched as the arrow tore through the air and penetrated the thick cloud of smoke revealing their towering adversary at a terrible cost. _"_ _There's no way…it… it learned…"_ the sheer horror of it all hitting her at its full extent. With one carefully timed swing, the Guardian sent the cursed arrow back to its sender.

"YOICHI!"

 ** _Meanwhile…_**

"6…7…8…9!" Kimizuki called out as his cursed gear's ability enveloped his small comrade. _"_ _Damn… this is the second time that I've used this ability on her. I was really hoping that I'd never have to use it again on another comrade… but I guess it can be helped."_ The guilt chewed away at the orange haired teen, but he ultimately concluded that it was for the best.

"Good work Kimizuki. There was no telling how much damage she would have caused to herself or to this building if you hadn't intervened. Lucky for us we got here when we did and I kept you here in Shadowridge." Guren said from behind the panting teen. Kimizuki just grunted, still displeased with the fact that he was the only one left out of the mission. "Well if that's all then we need to get going. Nurse, please ensure that Shinoa be monitored strictly from here on out. We don't need any surprises." The commander ordered as he turned to leave with Sayuri. After they had departed, Kimizuki gently let down the coffin and opened it up to reveal the sleeping form of Shinoa.

 _"_ _She looks so different like this… so peaceful… so unlike whatever it was that I just saw…"_

 ** _Five Minutes Earlier…_**

"Guren! Are you going to tell me what's going on or what? What's happening with Shinoa!?" Kimizuki asked as he tried to keep pace with Guren and Sayuri who were hastily making their way through the hospital.

"If it's anything like last time, her body is unnaturally tapping into her demon's abilities and she has lost control. Her aura slowly starts to buildup and if she isn't stopped there is no telling what could happen." Sayuri answered.

"So then this isn't the first time something like this has happened?"

"No." Guren finally spoke up. "It's not. It has happened only two other times, once when she first got here… and again when Yuichiro and the others departed for their mission. Now are you done asking questions?"

Before Kimizuki could deliver a witty comeback they'd arrived at Shinoa's room. The sound of glass breaking and stifled screams prompted Guren to kick the door open and charge straight in. Sayuri ushered Kimizuki in and closed the door behind him.

The first thing the orange-haired teen noticed was the surge of power within the room. He suddenly felt queasy and had trouble standing. It reminded him of the time that Guren unleashed the power of his cursed gear on them in the classroom. Then his eyes fell on the being that was emitting that source of power and he couldn't believe it.

The girl was floating in the air, bathed in a brilliant aura of purple. Her hair was black and she had a lone horn sticking out of her left temple and looked to be in pain. Her eyes were closed tightly and she appeared to be very rigid. "Who is that?" he asked in confusion.

"It's Shinoa! Kimizuki, do it! Open the Devil's Coffin!" Guren called to the teen while tending to the downed and traumatized nurses of the room.

 _"_ _That's Shinoa!?"_ he thought in disbelief. If not for Guren, he never would have guessed that he was staring at his comrade. She looked so different, everything about her was alien to him.

"What are you waiting for idiot!?"

Brought out of his stupor, Kimizuki remembered why he'd been brought to the room in the first place. _"_ _I need to bring her back. Alright then, here goes."_ Closing his eyes, Kimizuki unsheathed his cursed gear, motivated to save his friend.

 ** _Current time…_**

He gently scooped the girl from the coffin and moved her onto her bed. The petite squad leader's facial expression was blank and she was cold to the touch. If he hadn't seen the steady rise and fall of her chest, he'd have assumed that she was a corpse. _"_ _What the hell… what's going on with you Shinoa?_ " He asked knowing he wouldn't receive an answer. _"_ _Wherever Yu and the others are, I hope they come back soon. I don't like this. It almost reminds me of Mirai…"_ his inner brother instincts kicked in, prompting him to wrap Shinoa up in the covers. The girl didn't give him much of a reaction, but he could tell that she felt a little more comfortable than before. Sighing, he scratched the back of his head and set about to straighten up her room. _"_ _Why did I get stuck being the big brother!"_

 ** _Guren's Office…_**

"Well that went rather smoothly don't you think?" Guren said half-jokingly to Sayuri, who wasn't amused by his joke at all.

"When are you going to tell him?" The former teacher said in a rare display of anger towards Guren. Normally, she'd never question his leadership but in this instance she felt that something needed to be said.

"Sayuri, you know what would happen if I did…"

"That's just a lousy excuse Guren! He deserves to know and you know it! I don't know what they mean to you, but those kids were my students at one point and believe it or not, I actually care about them." She interrupted.

"Wow Sayuri, when did you become so motherly?" He spoke sarcastically while leaning back in his chair. Sure, he understood were she was coming from, but Guren had a plan and that plan had Kimizuki being ignorant for just a little longer. To anyone else, it may have looked like he didn't care and he realized that the moment he accepted the position of being a leader. He knew full well that he'd have to make choices that would hardly make him popular and sometimes would even get him into quarrels with his closest friends. However, in the long run he was doing what he thought was right and if that involved keeping secrets then he'd do just that.

After recovering from her blush, Sayuri calmed down a little as Mito, Shigure, and Norito walked into the room. "Save your breath Sayuri, you know how Guren is. He isn't going to budge on the subject no matter what we say. Besides I'm sure he's keeping this kid in the dark for a reason." Norito said as he plopped himself down on the couch.

"So you guys heard? Well still, it isn't fair to Kimizuki that—"

"Yeah, it might not be fair but, the world we live in is hardly fair in the first place. Humanity is just a shadow of its former self. I mean look at us, we went from being the top of the food chain to cowering for our very lives. Our enemies even refer to us as livestock. You've lived long enough to understand this fact Sayuri. Whatever Guren's reasons may be, it is for that child's own good." Shigure added.

"Alright, I think she gets it." Guren said from behind his desk. "Look, I know it isn't fair to him but he wouldn't be able to handle the truth."

"Maybe not. Still, how much longer do you think he's going to fall for the, 'you can't see her right now, she's still adjusting to the new facility' card? Clearly even you know that he's going to catch on eventually. What happens then?"

The commander in question spun around in his seat and let out a deep sigh. He hated being put on the spot. "Well Sayuri, to answer your question; as long as I possibly can. And if he ever does figure it out, then we just pray that he doesn't take after Yuichiro. The last thing I need is another hot-headed brat around here." He huffed.

"Aww, Guren for a second there you sounded like you cared." Mito teased from her position against the wall. The rest of the team couldn't stop the small smiles that crept up on their faces as they realized that their leader had a soft spot for that group of kids.

"Me? Care for a couple of whiny brats? I must be losing my touch." Guren replied. Even though he tried to play it off as best he could, everyone in the room could see the small smile the commander had on his face. _"_ _Damn those kids."_ He thought before standing up and clearing his throat. "Alright whatever, now for what I called you all here for… We've got work to do."

"Right!"

 ** _Forgotten Cave…_**

It was coming so fast… _too fast_ … he wasn't going to be able to dodge it. Unless he had some sort of divine intervention, this is how he was going to die. He could hear Mitsuba's cries to get to safety and it broke his heart. She didn't understand that there wasn't a place he could possibly escape to now. _"_ _I'm sorry… I was… too weak…"_ Yoichi's thoughts began to swirl, an intense mixture of every waking moment of his life. He was caught in between two realities and he struggled to make sense of any of it. In one such reality, he saw what he presumed to be a younger version of himself and some scary looking men in suits. They were taking him somewhere… somewhere he knew he shouldn't be.

 _"_ _I don't want to go there!"_ His small form screamed, but just like now he couldn't do anything to stop the larger men. Then the reality fast forwarded to someplace else, a place more familiar to him. His sister sat propped up on the bed and he was lying on the carpet. The sun illuminated their room in a heavenly glow and for just a second he felt happy. _"_ _Tomoe!"_ He called out to her. The girl turned to face him and tilted her head at him, almost like she was surprised to see him.

 _"_ _Yoichi? What are you doing here?"_ She asked.

 _"_ _Huh? Tomoe I don't understand."_ He asked just as the room faded away and all he was left with was a silhouette of his sister and the brilliant light. Gekkōin appeared side by side with the astral form of Tomoe, but said nothing. The demon merely took on her form, confusing Yoichi even further on who the real one really was.

 _"_ _Why are you giving up Yoichi? Why aren't you fighting back?"_ The two Tomoe's asked with tilted heads in perfect unison. Even in separate bodies, the duo appeared to be one.

 _"_ _I—I'm not strong enough…"_ He said meekly.

 _"_ _Well…"_ one of the Tomoe's hissed. _"_ _Allow us to make you stronger."_ Before Yoichi could voice an opinion on the matter, the two forms rushed him and knocked him to the floor. The frail boy felt his body constrict in on itself. He wanted to scream out in pain, but he could hardly even breath. Then something completely weird started to happen. All the pain he was feeling, all the fear that had built itself up, suddenly felt good. _Very good._

 _"_ _What's—what's going on?"_ Yoichi felt completely different from before. He felt as if he could take on every single last vampire on the earth with little to no effort. He felt _strong._

 _"_ _What do you think? You wanted to be stronger didn't you?"_ A familiar voice inside his head hissed.

 _"_ _Gekkōin? You did this?"_

 _"_ _Of course. It's far too early for you to clock out now. Besides, it looks like you and your friends could get all the help you can get."_

 _"_ _Thank you—"_

 _"_ _Don't thank me yet, you only can stay like this temporarily. I give you seven minutes at most."_

 _"_ _Understood. Thank you, Gekkōin."_

 _"_ _Just stay alive kid and be sure to give my regards to that boy, Yuichiro."_

 _"_ _Huh? Why?"_ He asked.

 _"_ _Because he just saved both of our asses."_

 _"_ _What?"_ As Yoichi finally returned to his current reality to find the words of his demon to be true. There Yuichiro was with his sword drawn and cloak tattering in the wind.

"Not today you bastard!" Yu cried as the bird-like arrow made contact with his katana's razor sharp edge. His sword began to vibrate rapidly, but Yuichiro held it firm enough to evenly split the shot into two separate projectiles that crashed on opposing ends of the cave.

 _"_ _He's so… strong."_ Yoichi thought as he watched Yuichiro charge toward the hulking Guardian at speeds he never thought possible.

 _"_ _Yes, the boy is remarkable indeed. However, strength alone will not be enough for him to win this fight. He needs your help."_

 _"_ _You're right. It's time I stopped being so weak. I can—I can help!"_ Yoichi cheered within. Eager to prove himself the bow user took aim and a deep breath. _"_ _The core on its chest must be some sort of weak point. If I manage to hit that with a powerful attack the Guardian should take some serious damage. I've got two options, either shoot it myself or give my team an opportunity to strike it."_ He continued to calculate out the best course of action whilst watching Yuichiro do battle with the behemoth. _"_ _Still, I don't even know if that even is a weak point. I need to know for sure…_ Yuichiro!"

"What's up?" the green-eyed teen answered while dodging another fatal strike.

"I think the core on its chest is a weak point. If we hit that then maybe, we can put an end to this battle."

"Really? You sure?" the katana wielder paused to parry one of the Guardian's attacks. He followed up by stepping inward and thrusting his blade straight for the beast's core. "Die!" Yuichiro roared. The monster would not go down so easily however, managing to maneuver itself a few inches to the right to avoid being pierced through its weak point. Yuichiro's attack had cut deep into his opponent's upper abdomen, eliciting a thunderous howl from the Guardian. A thick layer of ice began to surround the wound, encasing Yu's sword along with it. Despite having enhanced strength, Yuichiro's weapon remained a part of the Guardian's anatomy. Completely vulnerable without his cursed gear, Yu leapt away to avoid the wrath of his foe. _"_ _Damn it!"_ he cursed beneath his breath. Unfortunately for Yu, the Guardian was hell bent on destroying the creature that had caused it harm. It pounced on him like a cat to a mouse and Yuichiro surely would have been minced meat if Mitsuba and Julie hadn't intervened.

"Go! Julie and I will take it from here!" Mitsuba ordered as she locked her axe against the Guardian's scythe. Unable to unhook its scythe from Mitsuba's hold, Julie took the opportunity to do some damage against their enemy. In her attacks, Julie unknowingly slashed open one of the creature's thick blue veins spewing a scalding blue liquid all over the place. The Guardian roared twice as loud compared to when Yu had pierced its abdomen and flew into a frenzy.

Now on the defensive from the raving beast, Mitsuba squad had another issue on their hands. "Guys! Hate to break it to you, but we're in major trouble!" Julie called as she switched off with Mitsuba. "We've got Lykaios incoming!" She relayed to the team before jumping back in to deflect a blow from Mitsuba's blind spot.

"Yoichi!" Mitsuba signaled to their sniper.

"On it!" He answered as he readied his bow. One by one they fell as Yoichi's demonic arrows pierced their ice cold bodies. _"_ _The roar must've attracted them… Damn it! There's too many of them!"_ Despite their overwhelming numbers Yoichi kept at it, demolishing a great deal of the twisted fangs.

Seeing the sheer number of enemies approaching, Yuichiro decided to concentrate his efforts on the oncoming horde of Lykaios. Sword or no sword, Yu was going to do everything in his power to keep his friends safe. With a battle cry that rivaled the Guardian's, Yuichiro charged headfirst into the fray, punching and kicking with all his might against foes that could very easily rip him to pieces if he got to careless. Lucky for the vampire slayer, his demonic blood gave him a slight advantage in speed, giving him just enough wiggle room to avoid becoming fileted. He'd never been more thankful for the hand-to-hand combat lessons he received under the Moon Demon Company. "Yuichiro!" he heard someone call out to him. Dancing away from the razor sharp claws of the Lykaios, Yu located who'd called out to him and couldn't have seen a more relieving sight.

Somehow, Julie and Mitsuba had managed to dislodge his katana from the Guardian and were now risking everything to get him his weapon. However, in their current positions, such a move would prove to be fatal for the members of the team. They needed just a second of breathing room and that window came thanks to the efforts of the team sniper. With a single charged up shot, Yoichi managed to halt the advance of the Lykaios just long enough for Julie to get Yuichiro his weapon as well as switch places with him. Knowing full well that Julie would be at a severe disadvantage against the overwhelming numbers of Lykaios and that Mitsuba couldn't hold off the Guardian on her own forever, Yu decided to take a gamble.

"Yoichi! Cover Julie while I help Mitsuba!" Yuichiro barked into his mic. He bolted toward the giant and his pig-tailed friend where he enacted his plan. Leaping into the air, Yuichiro landed just in front of Mitsuba. His hand was locked into one of the grooves of her axe and he stood waiting for the lumbering beast to reach the right spot. _"_ _Sorry for what I'm about to do…"_ he apologized silently in advance as he glanced back at a puzzled Mitsuba.

"Hey! Yuichiro what on earth do you think you're—WHOA! AAGGHHH!" Mitsuba screamed as she felt herself being hurled around like when Crowley had taken hold of her battleaxe, except this time she wasn't being tossed into the ground. Instead, she felt her feet make contact with the Guardian's lower jaw just before she was tossed over to where Julie was holding her own against a band of Lykaios that managed to avoid Yoichi's arrows. _"_ _The son of a… HE THREW ME!"_ Mitsuba realized as she neared her landing spot. With a heave of her axe, the blonde-haired vampire slayer cleaved one of the beasts that Julie was facing just as she landed. The brunette seized the opportunity to capitalize on the vampire-werewolf hybrid's confusion of the sudden arrival of a new contender by eliminating them.

"Thanks for dropping in there! I might've been a goner if you hadn't shown up!" Julie chimed as she engaged two more Lykaios. Recovering from her unexpected trip through the air, Mitsuba looked back toward her previous position to find Yu locked in a fierce duel with the Guardian.

 _"_ _Jerk."_ She thought with small smile. _"_ _Good luck."_ The loud slobbering of her new foes brought her back to her current predicament. With a brutal swing of her axe, Mitsuba cleared a decent number of the horde in front of her. Just as she was getting into the rhythm of cutting down her foes, Julie's scream pierced the air. Fear gripping her heart, Mitsuba headed over to the villager's last position, praying that she wasn't too late.

Even with his sword prowess, Yuichiro was having a tough time in his battle with the Guardian. He'd received more than his fair share of cuts and hits from the towering beast and was beginning to find himself backed into a corner. With Yoichi and the others focused on repelling the horde of Lykaios converging on their location, Yu was unfortunately on his own. _"_ _Damn, this thing is too strong. I need more power…"_

 _"_ _What is it with you and power? Why not just run away and save yourself? I told you that you and your friends were in way over your heads."_ Asuramaru's voice rang within Yu's head. Even though Yu hadn't directed the previous thought toward his inner demon, Asuramaru was pretty sure that's what Yuichiro was going to ask for.

 _"_ _How many times am I going to have to explain it to you before you get it? I don't care what it takes, as long as I can protect the people I care about."_ Yu answered. The vampire slayer gritted his teeth as he received another laceration across his shoulder. The curved edge of the scythe was proving to be a major hindrance to his katana, as the monster continued hooking its blade into his defense. If this kept up, it'd only be a matter of time before he succumbed to the effects of blood loss.

 _"_ _Tsk. You are a fool, but if its power you want then it is power you get. For the next five minutes I'll let you borrow the rest of my power. Anymore and your body will collapse on itself from exhaustion. Still, I don't know what good it's going to do you. You and your friends are as good as dead anyways."_ The former vampire remarked, leaving Yu behind on a sour note.

 _"_ _Not if I can help it."_ Yuichiro replied, knowing that his inner demon was still lingering somewhere. He had to resist the urge to scratch at his skin, as he felt something crawling its way up his neck and along the right side of his face. The itching sensation was brought on by the purplish tattoos that marked Yu's descent from what little shred of humanity had left. The sclera around his eyes became a clouded haze of dark purple as well. His irises turned a ghastly red while a distinct green ring circled his pupils. He could feel the sudden surge of strength coursing through his body and everything appeared sharper and smelled stronger. With his newfound abilities, he was able to predict the trajectory of his target's next attack and dodged it with relative ease.

Despite his demonic enhancements, Yuichiro was well aware that he wasn't out of the woods yet. The Guardian was doing everything in its power to keep him at a distance which was proving effective as he wasn't going to do any damage if he couldn't get in close. To a spectator, the battle would have looked terribly one-sided, as Yu had dozens of cuts all over his body compared to the three or four wounds the Guardian was sporting. _"_ _I need to get closer, all I need is one attack and this fight will be over."_ He thought as he stepped away from an overhead strike. Deciding to test the Guardian, Yu readied his sword for another blow. When it came, he deflected it swiftly, leaving the beast open to attack. The moment he stepped forward, the Guardian leapt back keeping him at a range. _"_ _Just as I thought. It isn't going to let me get close."_ Switching tactics, Yu went on an all-out offensive, hacking and slashing at his foe with everything he had. The demon matched him swing for swing, furthering the stalemate between them. Realizing that he was just wasting his energy, Yu leapt away and tried to get a grip on his emotions. Just when he started to calm down, he heard it. A scream of terror, a noise so bone jarring and hair raising that it reminded Yu of the day of the apocalypse. It was happening again, someone close to him was in danger, and there was very little that he could do about it. A split-second was all it took, one little look to turn everything upside down.

He didn't know what was worse, the fact that from the corner of his eye he could see the gleaming edge of his opponent's scythe approaching or that Julie's blood was splayed across the snow.

"No…" he muttered softly.

 _"_ _MOVE YOU IDIOT!"_ Asuramaru's voice roared just before the scythe made contact with Yu's skull. However, his warning came too late and Yu wasn't able to get out of the way in time. The blade had entered his right pectoral, but didn't make it much farther than that. Although he'd managed to keep most of the scythe at bay, the tip of the blade had managed to tear into his skin. Had Asuramaru not warned him prior to the attack, Yuichiro would have most likely been cleaved into two perfect halves. Given that the Guardian had just pierced one of his major muscles, Yuichiro was having a tough time holding back the advancement of the blade. He winced as the scythe slipped a little deeper into the wound as his foe started to push down with more weight than before. Just when things were starting to look hopeless, there was a loud screeching sound and an explosion that rocked the cave. The movement helped Yu to initiate his attack on his off-balance opponent.

With one heave of his muscles, Yu managed to push the scythe out of his body and up into the air. With unrivaled speed, Yu moved the sword over to his left hand and grabbed onto the shaft of his opponent's weapon. The sheer cold was so intense that it burned his skin, but he didn't care. He was going to put an end to this demon if it was the last thing he ever did. After all, the monstrosity before him was what was the reason him and his friends were in this mess and it was the only thing standing between him and saving Shinoa.

Determination deep in his heart, Yuichiro yanked on his foe's weapon with all of his might, bringing the monster stumbling forward three steps. With his sword at the ready, Yu leapt forward with every intent to finish this fight.

 ** _…_**

Yoichi had heard the scream just like everyone else and the sight almost made him sick. _Almost._ Angered, Yoichi took aim with Gekkōin, pouring all of his pent up emotion into this one shot. "Gekkōin: Shot of the Phoenix!" he cried as his bow let loose a massive arrow in the shape of the legendary bird of lore. The flames on its wings illuminated the cave in a candescent green hue as it soared toward its target. Seconds before impact, the bird-like arrow gave a screech before separating into dozens of smaller and more compact projectiles. The Lykaios that had attacked Julie was obliterated along with several more of its kind.

When the smoke and snow had finally cleared, Julie was lying on the floor in a small puddle of blood. She had two major injuries, one in her sword wielding arm and another just below her right breast. The first wound came to her arm when the Lykaios she had been fighting slashed at her forearms and shoulder. When she blocked the attack, her enemy grabbed hold of her arm and bit deep into her flesh. The pain was so great that she couldn't stop herself from screaming out in agony. The villager started to pound away at the monster trying to shake her arm free from its teeth but with no success. Before she could do anymore, the wolf-like vampire ripped a chunk of flesh free and followed that move with a vicious head butt that knocked her unconscious. With its prey down for the count, the Lykaios prepared itself for a feast that it had been waiting for. Just when it'd begun to slash open a point for it to dig in, Yoichi's arrows sent it to the afterlife without its lunch. "Mitsuba!"

The blonde didn't answer right away, opting to get to Julie's motionless form first. Yoichi felt sorry for anything that got in her way, as she mercilessly cut them down. As much as he wanted to help, the last shot had drained the last of the energy that he'd received from Gekkōin. All he could do now was watch as Mitsuba finished off the last of the Lykaios horde in her quest to reach Julie. Just as his blonde teammate reached the villager that had been so much help to them, Yoichi heard the roar of the Guardian mixed in with what was without a doubt Yuichiro's battle cry.

 ** _..._**

The whole world was moving in slow motion. Everything was so clear to him, from the breathtaking beauty of the crystalline structures of snowflakes, to the taut muscles of his foe. Even the most minute detail failed to escape his eyes. The gleaming edge of his sword shined as bright as the fire in his heart. The final steps were approaching. It all came down to this moment, the point at which everything was on the line.

 _Step one, block the punch._

 _Tang! His katana rang._

 _Step two,_ _take aim._

 _Step three, remember the fallen. Fight for the future._

 _Step four, acknowledge body tension. Pivot left._

 _Step five… Finish the damn fight._

The Guardian roared. Yuichiro did too. Unfortunately for the demon, Yu's aim had been true. The blade pierced its core all the way through. Howling in pain, the monster swung its arms wildly in one last ditch effort to bring the vampire slayer with him. Its attempts proved successful and the Guardian managed to knock Yuichiro away, but failed to dislodge the katana embedded deep in its chest.

There was a blinding flash of white light and a concussive blast that struck up a small blizzard. Yuichiro did his best to shield himself from the whipping white projectiles that slapped at his wounds and face. As soon as the barrage of snow had stopped, Yu's first order of business was to locate his teammates. His eyes first fell on Mitusba, who was cradling Julie close to her bosom. The blondie gave him the thumbs up, signaling to him that all was indeed okay. Relieved that the two of them were okay, Yuichiro checked over to where their sniper had been perched. Yoichi sat lazily pressed up against the wall, a small smile plastered on his face. Like Mitsuba before him, he gave the thumbs up before rising and gathering his gear.

 _"_ _They're all okay. Thank goodness."_ He breathed a sigh of relief and looked back toward the Guardian's last known position. The Weapon of Origin was sitting right next to his sword, which was buried deep into a mixture of snow and ash and seemed to be vibrating on its own. Upon closer examination, Yuichiro saw that it was giving off its own source of heat as well. _"_ _The hell?"_ He thought. Then he noticed something completely peculiar about himself. As much as he tried to move, he found that his body was resisting his commands. After this sudden realization, Yuichiro fell to his knees finding himself short on breath. _"_ _What's going on!?"_

 _"_ _Shhhhhh. Sleeeeeeeeeeeep."_ A voice answered. Having no control in the matter, Yuichiro was forced to do as he was told.

 _"_ _Damn it!"_ was the last thought he had, before the world turned dark.

 ** _A/N:_** And chapter twelve comes to a close! What happened to Yuichiro? (Seems like something's always happening to him…poor guy.) What's going on with Shinoa? What's going to happen to the village!? Agh! SO MANY QUESTIONS! Don't worry though Seraphans, I will answer all of these questions soon enough but first! I wanted to apologize for making you guys wait so long… you see… I had a run-in with an old enemy of mine and things got ugly fast. I swear, math is just horrible. It's completely taken OVER my life! No worries though, I kicked it back into a corner for now and managed to wrap up this chapter that has been eluding me for so long! Anywho without further ado, its—REVIEW RESPONSE TIME!

 ** _Ryujomaru15: Thanks again! This chapter has eluded me for so long and really took it out of me. I hope this chapter is just as satisfactory as the others, although I don't think I executed this one as well. Thanks for reviewing!_**

 ** _Hinoirilwin: Thanks for your review and yeah, it's kind of sad when you think about the horrible things that some of these characters had to go through… but still it is what makes these characters interesting! (Gee that sounds horrible!) And yeah, Shinya is a great brother figure to Shinoa, but I think Kimizuki can be just as good! Good news too, THE REUNION IS COMING!_**

 ** _IarIz: Thank you for all of your reviews! I will admit, I am off in my canon but then again this story wasn't meant to be completely canon. Still though you make a good point with Shinoa being a half-demon and all. I was careful also not to give Shi a specific gender just yet, although don't quote me on that, I may have slipped up somewhere. All in all though I appreciate your reviews and hope to hear from you again. Thanks for reading!_**

 ** _BluePhantomRed: Glad you think so and thanks for reviewing! Hope this chapter does the story justice!_**

That wraps that up! So here I am, watching the Super Bowl and wrapping up this chapter. Got to say guys, this chapter proved to be the most taxing one yet. Let me know how I did and where I can improve, it really helps me and motivates me to get back to this story. Hopefully the next chapter won't take me this long and I can get it to you guys ASAP. If I don't though you have my permission to yell at me to hurry it up… (nicely of course). On another note, thanks to all of you Seraphans who have favorited and followed this story since its publication. Never in a million years would I have thought I'd come this far in writing and it is all thanks to you guys! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! (Seriously.)

Alrighty then Seraphans, I think that wraps everything up on my end. So as always, if any of you have any suggestions, comments, concerns, or questions please feel free to leave a review or shoot me a PM! Until next time, Frosty out!


	13. Chapter 13: Return

Disclaimer: I do not own _**Seraph of the End or any of its characters!**_

Chapter 13: Return

"Speech"

" _Thoughts"_

Kureto Hiragi was no fool. Shinya's team had returned empty-handed and even worse, they 'seemingly' lost some men in their search for the thorn in his side. "Damn you Guren." He cursed with a twisted smile. While his plans may have been setback some, there was little that the former Moon Demon Company leader could do to stop him. He still had Mirai and the backing of the largest and most powerful army in Japan.

Knowing that he still had the upper hand in his affairs, Kureto opened the doors to the balcony of his space within the Hiragi controlled tower. He had the greatest view of Japan from where he was standing. He marveled as his eyes fell on the space where the sun's light kissed the surface of the apocalyptic earth. "One day this will be all mine. Everyone will cower before the might of the Hiragi's!" Kureto professed from the balcony.

He turned his back to the sunrise and rested his back against the sturdy railing. Oh, how the world wished that the concrete wall that had held him up had crumbled away. If only it had, then maybe things would not have ended up the way they did. If only…

Playing over countless situations in his head, Kureto grinned in triumph as he realized how he'd draw out his traitorous foe. His stomach turned in glee from the anticipation of what was sure to be a glorious battle. Even though he was almost certain of his victory, Kureto didn't want his rise to power to be such an easy one. With his army's recent victories over the vampire menace, the ruthless leader was starting to grow bored at the lack of challenges that faced him. He wanted to be entertained and Guren was without a doubt the individual that was going to satisfy his twisted desires.

It wasn't long before Kureto had devised a plan that would bring about what he figured would be the final confrontation between him and his oldest rival. Even so, he was in no rush to face Guren anytime soon. After all, he was fully aware that if he were to do so now, Guren hardly stood a chance when compared to the full force of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army. He wanted a challenge and a challenge he was going to get. "Soon Guren…our battle will come." He promised as he reached into his pocket to retrieve Shinoa's key-like cursed gear.

Just like when he first held it, the key was cold to the touch and appeared completely useless. "Hmph." He huffed in dissatisfaction. _"How could someone who bears the Hiragi name be so disappointing?"_ Disgusted, Kureto tossed the key off the balcony and turned to head back inside.

The cursed gear twirled end over end as it fell from the heavens and back down to earth. The key landed with a loud _'ting'_ and would have fallen into a sewer grate had a certain individual not intervened. Maybe it was chance that he happened to be walking by as the key made its descent or maybe it was fate that had put him there for reasons yet to be determined. Either way, the object's savior was none other than Shinya Hiragi.

"Well would you look at that? We've been looking all over for you." Shinya said to the small charred object. Seemingly able to hear the voice of its savior, the once dormant key was enveloped in a small flame like it had once again reawakened. Shinya laughed at the sudden change of luck that he had.

"What's so funny sir?" A JIDA soldier asked as he eyed his superior confusingly. Why was a key so funny?

"It's nothing. You wouldn't get it." Shinya answered his subordinate as he turned the key over in his hands.

"Oh. Okay I guess." The soldier responded, still confused about what was so funny.

"Get me a carrier hawk." Shinya ordered his subordinate.

"Right away sir." The soldier replied as he turned to leave. As he left, another soldier spoke up to the silver-haired leader.

"Um, sir does this have to do with Lieutenant Guren?" she addressed her superior.

Diverting his attention from the key in his hands to the soldier to his right, he answered, "I'm afraid the answer to that question is above your pay-grade." Shinya said with a smile. Understanding the reasoning behind Shinya's answer, the girl nodded her head and decided to remain quiet. Shinya laughed inwardly to himself as he realized just how much Guren had influenced some of the JIDA soldiers. _"Oh if you only knew Guren…"_ he thought as he reflected on just how respected his best friend was. _"You're not going to believe this."_ He finished as he pocketed the key and left to carry out his other duties.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

To humans, the city of Sanguinem was a place filled with darkness and suffering. To Scarlett, it was practically the only thing she ever knew. _"This place never changes…"_ she thought gloomily while her foot dangled from one of the palace's windows. Krul had been 'nice' enough to overlook the fact that she'd almost gotten her favorite guinea pig killed in their retrieval of the cursed gear and even allowed Scarlett to use the palace's services to recover.

 _"As if I needed her damn services anyways."_ The fiery red-head thought in irritation. Leaning back against the windowsill, Scarlett munched on an apple, lazily continuing her previous activity. Her eyes fell on the 'livestock' that walked the streets below. She took note of how miserable and defeated they all looked, remembering when she too felt those very same emotions.

 _"It isn't right. They don't deserve to be treated this way."_ She thought from her perch. Not once in her entire time as a vampire had Scarlett drank of the blood of children. Even though most of her kind would argue that the blood of children was the best tasting, she resisted the temptation. As much as the others mocked her for it, she didn't really care. They didn't understand her and she was glad that they didn't because she never really saw herself as one of them anyways. She was Scarlett and she lived by her own set of rules, simple as that.

The fiery red head was so deep in thought that when the doors of the room she had occupied had suddenly burst open, Scarlett had almost lost her grip on the windowsill. Pulling herself back into the large chamber before she really did tumble off the palace, Scarlett found herself standing next to none another then Krul Tepes. "Don't you knock?" She said grumpily as she took a seat. The vampire queen cast an irritated glance towards the red-headed vampire but ultimately ignored the question. On a normal day she would have put Scarlett in her place, but this wasn't an ordinary day for Krul. Today, she meant business.

"Funny, of all the places I'd imagine finding you I never would have guessed that you'd be here. In any case the fact that you are already here saved me the time of having to track you down myself. According to the medics he's going to be waking up soon and when he does, you two will begin your next mission." She said as her eyes drifted over to the blonde vampire who was still trapped in his slumber.

"Another mission already? Ever heard of vacation Krul?" Scarlett groaned. Despite appearing to be displeased, she understood the vampire queen's urgency given the current circumstances. Sometimes it was damn hard to be a higher-up.

"Ferid's faction ended up hearing about your little adventure into the Cave of Origin the other day and as you can already guess, I'm being investigated. Had everything gone according to _**my plan,**_ " she paused to glare at Scarlett, "then, maybe we wouldn't be in this position."

"You see—about that…" Scarlett began, scratching the back of her head sheepishly.

"I don't want to hear it. It's already done and over with. We got what we wanted and now we need to make our next move before Ferid and the others catch on to what's really going on." Krul interrupted.

Crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair, Scarlett assumed a more serious demeanor at the mention of the other vampire factions. Truth be told, she didn't care much for politics or power. It wasn't like she was one to follow authority anyway, so it didn't really matter to her who won this twisted game for the throne. All she wanted in life was to get herself out of the dark and gloomy dwelling that was Sanguinem, and into the world above ground. She wanted to stare up into the sky and take in every smell and—

"Scarlett? Scarlett!" Krul called to the daydreaming vampire.

"Huh? Oh, sorry I was—" Scarlett snapped back to attention, abandoning her 'happy place' and returning to the world of vampires.

"Whatever," Krul huffed, "Look Mikaela is starting to wake up." The pinkette informed her. True to her words, Mika was indeed stirring around in his sleep. It was only a matter of time before he opened up his eyes to reveal his dazzling blue orbs. Before that happened however, Scarlett noticed that something wasn't right. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw that Krul had too sensed the sudden tension in the air.

"Krul?"

"I know." The vampire queen said, assuming a defensive stance. "Be on your guard." She warned Scarlett, who had now risen to stand next to her. The atmosphere continued to grow in intensity and for a while the duo waited for something to happen. Minutes passed and yet nothing. Still, the two dared not let their guard down.

"This energy. It's the same as in the cave. Krul… you don't think—" Scarlett started.

"Not now! Here it comes!" Krul shouted as a shockwave of energy burst forth from Mikaela's bed. Shortly after, a thick black cloud spread out over the walls, casting the room into complete darkness. Despite losing almost all visibility, two distinct ghastly red orbs hovered over Mika's bed. Upon closer examination, the two vampires realized that the orbs were a pair of eyes that belonged to a shadowy figure that they could not yet make out in the darkness.

"Mikaela!?" Scarlett called to the shade. Instead of answering to the name, the figure tilted its head as if it were confused. "Mikaela if that's you pal you can stop now. It's just me and Krul here." She continued her attempts to reach her seemingly possessed friend.

Knowing full well that a direct confrontation with a possessed Mika would only spell more trouble for her, Krul attempted to get through to the vampire as well. "Mikaela! It's me, Krul! Listen, you can stop this now. You're okay! No one is going to hurt you!" Just like before, the figure tilted its head, prompting the duo to try and reach out again however, the figure had other plans as the two eyes disappeared.

Suddenly a massive wave of flames engulfed the room, setting everything within aflame. Krul and Scarlett's initial reaction was to get out of the room, but when they found that the flames had caused them no harm it was their turn to be confused.

 _"What the? Are these flames—an illusion?"_ Krul thought as she watched the tips of the flames dance at her feet. She felt nothing as they touched her skin, seemingly phasing through her like she wasn't even there. The pink haired vampire didn't get to ponder on the subject much longer, as Scarlett had elbowed her shoulder in an attempt to get her attention. "What is it?" She asked.

The normally vocal redhead didn't have the words to explain what it was that saw. The only thing she could do was point and hope that Krul didn't see what she was seeing. Unfortunately for her, the contorted face of the vampire queen meant that what was standing right before them had to be real.

Gone were the soothing blue eyes of the boy that she'd started to grow so fond of and in their place were now blood red ones filled with the desire to kill. Two black horns had burst forth from opposing temples and his teeth were set in a sharp maniacal grin. Black-tipped flames danced in a crown above his head and he'd sprouted a pair of devilish wings. Words could not even begin to depict the demon that had emerged before them. Scarlett couldn't believe it. There was no way that this was Mikaela.

Demon Mika twitched its fingers, beginning the process of testing its new body. Scarlett watched the scene in disgust. _Leave him alone…he doesn't belong to you…you damn….you filthy…_ Her knuckles were clenched so tightly that they were beginning to turn red. Her body was shaking from the intense buildup of rage that came from the sight of Mikaela's condition. She couldn't take it. She had to do something. "GIVE HIM BACK!"

"Scarlett! What are you doing!?" Krul yelled as her red-headed comrade stepped forward. Her sleeve had been pulled up and a serpent like tattoo was snaking its way down her arm. "Scarlett no! You know that's forbidden!" Krul called but it was too late. Scarlett was already muttering an incoherent language, one that was far older than the city of Sanguinem itself.

The demon that had possessed Mika seemingly recognized the incantation as it made the move to cut down the speaker before she could finish. Unfortunately for the demon, it was unaware of the limitations of its current body. Injured as it was, it couldn't reach Scarlett before she finished reciting the words, but it did reach her just as she finished. Light and darkness collided and for a brief moment, everything was calm. Then, just like that, everything went to hell.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Yuichiro was enjoying a nice nap before he was viciously jostled awake. His body lurched to the left and he rolled off the bench so fast that he thought that he was being attacked. His shoulder broke the fall as he landed on the hard floor of the truck.

"I hate this damn truck." He said beneath his breath as he recovered from his little tumble. He saw that Yoichi was on his back, staring up at the ceiling of the compartment that they were sitting in. He smiled as he thought they were both probably thinking the same thing at the moment. "You too huh?" He said as he helped the boy back to his feet.

"Yeah." He chuckled. "Still, you think that by knowing how it was before we'd resist the temptation to just fall asleep you know?" The bow user said sheepishly.

"Right? Still, that battle really took it out of us. Even now I haven't been able to reach Asuramaru." Yuichiro replied as he hesitantly took a seat again.

"Really? Still? I reached Gekkōin just fine just a little bit ago. You did use a lot more energy than I did though, so I guess he may be resting still or something, if demons rest that is." Yoichi answered unable to find a suitable explanation for the lack of communication between Yu and his black demon series.

"Of course they do." Yuichiro stated matter-of-factly. "Eh, it's whatever though. I'm sure he's just ignoring me like always. Still though, how do you think Julie is doing? The village seemed pretty pissed at the Grandmaster when she explained everything to them. I swear man, I almost wanted to stay and wipe that smirk off his damn face!"

"I'm sure that she's going to be just fine. Mitsuba did a good job at bandaging up the wounds and the villagers said they'd look after her. Still, I don't think we had any place to interfere with their business. I think we did the right thing in letting them sort it out for themselves. After all, we accomplished our mission and with Shinoa's condition I don't think we could've afforded to stay any longer." Yoichi reasoned with the green eyed vampire slayer.

"Yeah, that makes sense, but still! What if the Grandmaster has like a secret army of Lykaios or something and we just left them to fend for themselves? Or what if—" Yuichiro started to list out a dozen of bizarre scenarios one after the other.

" _He's the same as ever, even though he won't admit it. He always did want to help those in need."_ Yoichi thought as he listened to Yuichiro's crazy list of situations. When he finally ran out of scenarios, Yoichi did his best to ease his friend's fears. "I'm sure that they will be just fine Yuichiro. You saw how she handled herself against the Guardian. She's a skilled fighter and she has the backing of her people. I'm positive that the Grandmaster will get what's coming to him."

Realizing that he was worrying over nothing, Yu gave up on the subject and instead moved on to one that had just recently been brought to his attention. "You're right. She'll be just fine." He agreed, earning a nod from Yoichi. "Say, Yoichi?" he paused until he had his friend's attention. "When did you get so confident?" He said with a wry smile. The statement caused the normally meek boy to blush in embarrassment, which made Yuichiro laugh. Seeing the irony in the situation, Yoichi joined in on the laughter.

It didn't last very long though, as the truck went over another bump in the road.

"I HATE THIS DAMN TRUCK!"

 _ **Elsewhere…**_

 _"Where am I?"_ was the first question that came to mind as Mika found himself drifting in an endless expanse. Even though he didn't speak out loud, his question echoed throughout the void that he'd awoken in. Eventually, the echo died out and Mikaela had stopped drifting along, coming to a rest on an invisible floor. Testing his body movements, the vampire found that he could move but not as much as he would have liked.

 _"Looks like I'm still banged up from that fight with that Guardian."_ He thought as the memories slowly started coming back to him. Having risen to his feet, the former human began hobbling along in no particular direction. Seeing as how everything was the same no matter which direction he went, Mikaela wasn't getting too particular about how to find his way out of the expanse.

 _"Hello!"_ He called out, receiving an answer that came only as his echo. Then without warning, the landscape he was in changed and he found himself in a room. The walls were a dull gray, housing various forms of machinery and computers and in the middle of the room lay an operating table. _"The hell?"_ he thought as he took in his new surroundings. Suddenly, a door appeared and in burst some unidentifiable humanoid creatures.

 _"Bring number seven in now."_ One of the strange looking creatures ordered. The door appeared again and in came more of the humanoid creatures along with a small boy. Given that the humanoid creatures were all in his way, he couldn't get a good look at the boy. He watched as they strapped the boy to the table, albeit with some trouble. The boy was kicking and fighting with all of his might against the doctors, but even so he wasn't strong enough to resist. _"Begin."_ The same humanoid ordered as his compatriots dispersed to begin whatever it was they were about to do.

A loud scream pierced the air as Mika soon realized what was truly going on. _"You bastards! How dare you torture a child! I swear I'll—"_ Mikaela grabbed onto one of the scientists shoulders and spun him around to reveal a skeleton. He jumped back reflexively, and as he did the entire scene in front of him began to melt away.

 _"What the hell is going on? That doctor—he wasn't—but—how?"_ The more he tried to make sense out of what he just saw, the more he grew confused. _"This place—it can't be real. Am I dreaming? I have to be. This all is just one bad dream."_ He began convincing himself. _"A real crazy one."_ After the last bit of the gray room had faded away Mika was once again trapped in the endless expanse. Again, he was left without answers and a strange feeling in his gut. He didn't understand why, but the room and those doctors all seemed so familiar to him. However, the more he tried to dig up the memory the hazier things got. Now all of a sudden the escape didn't matter so much anymore. The only thing that mattered now was figuring out just what the hell was going on in that room.

And he sat there…

And thought…

 _And thought…_

 _And thought…_

 _And thought…_

Until there was nothing left to think about. His mind went over every possibility, every little fragment that he could possibly remember and he found that he had _nothing._ The expanse that he was trapped in made more sense than the gray room. _But why?_ That question tore him apart. See, Mikaela always had an answer. It was what separated him from his adopted brother Yuichiro. He wasn't one to be reckless. He always used his head, but if that were the case… what the hell was going on in the gray room?

He was so captivated by this memory that he failed to notice the ominous presence that had surrounded him. As a matter of fact, he didn't even notice that it had taken the shape of someone that he knew all too well…

 _ **"Mikaela?"**_

He froze. The desire to discover the truth…forgotten. He wasn't in the void anymore. Mikaela found himself in a far more familiar place, one where childish drawings hung on the walls of a dimly lit room. The table was old and worn and the entire place smelled of copper and… _potatoes?_ Then he remembered the voice that had called his name. It'd had been so long since he'd last heard it that he forgot what it sounded like. The genuine warmth that it emanated reminded him of a time when he felt like he could take on the world. It drove him to fight day after day, no matter the hardships. When Yuichiro and him went at it, this voice was the voice of reason. It was…

"Akane?"

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Guren was standing in the town square along with Sayuri and a very disgruntled Kimizuki. The sun was sitting high in the sky, radiating its warmth down on the quaint little town of Shadowridge. He watched as people flocked about in the newly developed markets and exchanged conversations with each other. It amazed him how quickly people adapted to change. For just a second, the cool and calculated Colonel felt proud. It truly was a bright and beautiful day in the town of Shadowridge.

 _Was._

"Gah! How long are they gonna take? We've been sitting out here for hours already! When you said soon I thought you meant like five minutes! This is a waste of time!" Kimizuki complained from the bench he was sitting on. Sayuri shifted uncomfortably, a detail that did not go unnoticed by Guren as he surmised that she too was probably growing impatient as well. Thankfully, she spoke up before he could because well, he wasn't in the mood to deal with _brat._

"I'm sure they will show up any second now Kimizuki. We've waited this long, what's a few more minutes?" She said to the aggravated teen. As much as she tried to hide it, Guren detected the faint presence of irritation in her voice.

 _"Sorry Sayuri. If I had known they'd have taken this long, I wouldn't have asked you to come."_ He apologized mentally to her. He knew full well that she couldn't hear him, but once their eyes had met she'd gotten his apology. True to her character, Sayuri just smiled in response and turned her attention back to the town of Shadowridge. _"Damn, she really is too nice."_ Guren chuckled silently to himself.

"Don't you guys have anyone else that you could've called out with you? Geez, if I would've known that they were going to take this long I just would have just said no!" Kimizuki groaned.

"Enough already!" Guren yelled, finally having lost his patience. "I swear, you're just as bad as the other one!" Habitually, Guren ran a hand through his hair, slicking it back in the process. As expected, Kimizuki practically leapt off the bench because of his insult. _"Here we go."_ Guren sighed mentally.

"Just what is that supposed to mean! I'm nothing like that green-eyed idiot and you know it!" The orange haired teen protested. Sayuri couldn't help herself but laugh at his sudden reaction, further irking Kimizuki. Realizing that he really wasn't helping his argument with the way he was acting he sat down and crossed his arms in defeat.

"At least you know when to stop. Perfect timing too. The truck is here." Guren remarked just as it came into sight.

"Finally!" Kimizuki said in relief. Sayuri smiled as well and rose to take her place next to Guren as they waited for the truck to reach them. Taking the hint, Kimizuki also got to his feet and took his place just behind his two commanding officers. "Is the hospital prepared for what's about to go down? There is no telling how Shinoa will react when we commence the process." Guren asked Sayuri.

"Yes, I've made all the necessary arrangements. Mito and Shigure have moved all of the nearby patients to temporary rooms and Norito is standing by awaiting orders. When everything is ready to go in accordance with your plans the rest of us will act accordingly." Sayuri informed him.

"Good, the less we have to worry about the better. Well done." He commended her as the truck pulled to a stop. The first of the Shinoa squad to appear was Mitsuba who'd looked like she'd just seen a ghost. Yoichi and Yuichiro weren't far behind as they leapt out of the back of the truck with their 'package.' Guren was already expecting Yuichiro to be wearing his annoyed expression, but he wasn't expecting the shyest member of the group to be giving him a glare. _"The hell did I do?"_ He thought, genuinely curious as to how he could have angered one of the nicest people on the planet. "Er—uh welcome back!" He managed to say, but all he got from Yuichiro was a great big huff. Before he could make a scene however, Mitsuba stepped in as the voice of reason.

"Sorry, long ride home. Full of bumps. Not fun." She said hastily as if recalling the memory of the trip itself made her sick. "We have the package. What are our next set of orders sir?" Mitsuba finished while gesturing for Yu to give Guren the Weapon of Origin. The teen stepped forward without uttering a word and handed his CO the case with the weapon inside without incident. For a moment the lieutenant colonel was shocked and even thought that the boy in front of him had to be someone else. Then again, the more he looked at Yu, the more something didn't seem right. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Well done. Sorry about your…trip." Guren replied awkwardly knowing just how tedious that trip must have been. He swept his eyes over the three soldiers standing before him and in that moment, Guren truly felt proud. Not only did he send them on an extremely dangerous mission, he _sent_ only half of the team to complete it and although they came back pretty beat up, they actually made it back! It wasn't that he didn't think that they were capable of completing the mission, because he wouldn't have dared send them on a suicide run. He may have been a risk taker, but he wasn't Kureto. Still what the Mitsuba three-man squad accomplished was truly remarkable. _"Looks like I put together the right team after all."_

"Took you guys long enough. If I would've been there, we would have finished the mission in half the time." Kimizuki said jokingly. He was still a little upset that he was left out of such a crucial mission, but he was glad that his teammates had made it back safe and sound.

"What are you talking about four-eyes? Everyone knows that you're the slowest person on the team." Yuichiro grinned devilishly.

"Not even two minutes and you two are back at it again? I swear the both of you sound like an old married couple." Mitsuba added in much to their chagrin. Even Guren had a laugh at that one, as he watched the team that he was so proud of moments before, begin to bicker amongst each other.

 _"They've still got a long way to go."_ He thought. Turning to Sayuri, he handed her the briefcase and gestured for her to get the preparations underway. The women bowed then left to get things started at the hospital, but not before turning back to get one last glimpse of her former students.

 _"Now I see."_ She realized, turning her attention back to the matter at hand. After coming to the same conclusion that Guren had reached when they'd first arrived in Shadowridge, Sayuri entered the hospital with only one thing on her mind: to make damn well sure that she made Shinoa squad whole again.

In their little brief scuffle, the members of the Shinoa squad didn't even notice that Sayuri, Guren, and even the truck had departed. The group then had a laugh about their antics, amazed that they were so focused on each other that they were oblivious to the world around them. Guess that's what happens when you grow so close. For Mitsuba, Yoichi, and Yuichiro, it sure did feel pretty damn good to be back. Despite all the insults they traded and frustrations that this world had brought to them, they were still fighting, fighting for each other. Sure, the world didn't have much to offer but at the end of the day the world didn't really have anything that they wanted. Their happiness existed within one another, through powerful bonds that drove them to do things beyond that of ordinary humans. Were they perfect? Hell no. They all knew it. After all, they still had a world to save, but that could wait. For now, the group of friends were more focused on the return of their favorite sarcastic purple haired friend.

Shinoa Hiragi, the girl who as much as they'd want to deny it, had brought them all together. Even in a coma she was still somehow working her magic. Even so, they knew that bringing her back was not going to be as easy as one, two, three. It never was.

Maybe that's why they were all scared. Because deep down they knew that this was going to be the hardest fight that they'd ever been a part of. Because they knew that there was a possibility that they'd have to face her in a potential battle. Because they knew that this could be the last time they ever saw her again. Despite this they walked forward, heads held high and bodies standing tall. And maybe that's what was so terrifying, because no matter how tall you walk, one is never really fully prepared for what life has in store.

And that's just maddening….

 **A/N:** And that does it for chapter 13! Sorry for such a short chapter here, but I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer so I decided to cut it here. I figured that I introduced enough here to get the story set up for the next couple of chapters so I didn't want to go too far into anything just yet. I mean Shinoa is on the verge of returning…tensions in the vampire world are stirring… and Mikaela's going through something a little confusing! There's so much I want to do here and I am excited to have finally gotten back to this story. I know it's been awhile but between midterms and my other story I did everything I could to get some writing space in. Speaking of which, IT IS REVIEW RESPONSE TIME!

 _ **Ryujomaru15:**_ Thank you for the review! Glad you liked the fight scene from the last chapter. I tried to keep it as exciting as possible without getting too repetitive. Anywho, I appreciate your feedback and while this chapter is a little short, I hope its just as satisfying as the last one!

 _ **TavoTevas69:**_ Well, here is more! Thanks for the review and glad you are liking the story. I hope to hear from you again sometime! Thanks again!

 _ **GamerGoonFTW:**_ Yeah… you see when I started writing this I had only seen the English dub of the anime and I thought that Ashuramaru was a girl… but then on the wikia it said he was a boy… so I don't know. Lol. Anywho, yeah if the opportunity presents itself who knows I may act on it, but then again who knows with me? Lol. Thanks for the review and I hope to hear from you again! Glad you like the story!

Alright I believe that is all of them. In the case I missed one… THANK YOU and to all you silent reviewers, thank you too! I don't really have much else to say so… to any of you who have any suggestions, comments, ideas, questions, or concerns please feel free to leave a review or shoot me a PM! They really help me to learn to grow as a writer as well as push me to get back to writing! Anywho, I believe that's all folks! So until next time Seraphans, Frosty out!


	14. Chapter 14: Reunion

Disclaimer: As you all know, I do _**not own Seraph of the End or any if its characters.**_

Chapter 14: Reunion

"Speech"

" _Thoughts"_

"What the hell do you mean I'm not allowed in!" Yuichiro yelled in protest as Guren stood in the way of Shinoa's room. The green eyed vampire slayer tried to outmaneuver the colonel but with little success. "Guren! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" He roared. "She's my teammate! I deserve to be in there just as much as Kimizuki does!"

"Kimizuki is essential to this operation. You are not. When is it going to register in that thick skull of yours that no just means no?" Guren said to the disgruntled teen. Gritting his teeth, Yu stopped trying to get past his CO and crossed his arms in defeat, knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere at this rate. Yoichi breathed a sigh of relief having averted a potential crisis with a raging Yuichiro. While Mitsuba didn't exactly agree with Guren's reasoning, she was glad that Yu had calmed down some. At this point she didn't really have the energy to calm him down or even argue the case along with him about why they should be allowed to be in there.

Sayuri came upon the scene and immediately took note of how tense the air around them was. She sighed, expecting this reaction from them but it couldn't be helped. Being as how they weren't granted the same luxuries they once were when they were under the Hiragi's control, Sayuri's hospital could only accomplish so much. This operation in itself was putting a strain on her already limited resources, so she couldn't risk anyone or anything getting in the way. _"I'm sorry guys."_ She apologized mentally to them as she stepped past Guren and entered the room with Shinoa's new cursed gear.

"Now that you've quieted down some, we can finally get to work." Guren huffed while straightening out his uniform. "I'll send someone to get you guys as soon as she is awake. Go get some rest." The colonel ordered as he slipped into the room, locking the door behind him. He understood full well what the other members of Shinoa squad were going through, hell he would have acted the same if he was in their position, but just because he understood didn't mean he was going to forget his responsibilities as a leader.

"Are we starting now?" Kimizuki asked after he let out a tired yawn. "I'm getting tired of all this waiting around." He added afterwards.

"Soon, be patient." Guren stated. "Sayuri, hand me the cursed gear." The brunette stepped forward and did as she was told, relinquishing her hold on the sealed scythe. Guren could feel the waves of energy pouring off of the scythe, so much so that he was starting to feel queasy. Still, he pushed past the feelings of discomfort and grabbed hold of the powerful weapon and set it carefully down next to Shinoa. The girl's arm twitched noticeably, no doubt in cause of the foreign energy presence that had started assaulting her. _"I sure as hell hope this works."_ Guren prayed silently.

"Are we ready to begin the operation sir?" Sayuri asked from behind him as she started motioning for the respective nurses to move into their positions. Kimizuki felt a lone bead of sweat roll down his brow, as the anxiety was starting to build up within him. He tightened his grip on his cursed gear and swallowed hard, vowing that he'd do everything in his power to bring their teammate back.

"Yes. As of right now everyone's focus should now be on bringing Shinoa back. Let's do this people!" Guren barked as one nurse started to siphon the energy from the Weapon of Origin into Shinoa's small frame.

"Sir, transfer at 1%. Readings look normal, Shinoa's body hasn't responded yet." The nurse informed.

"Good, keep me posted. Kimizuki get in position. If anything gets out of hand we're going to need that ability of yours and quick." Guren said.

"Transfer at 5%. Sir, it looks like something within Shinoa is responding to the energy, transfer still holding at 5%." The nurse paused, "6%." Silence enveloped the room as they awaited another update from the nurse. "7%." She relayed, eyes still glued to the monitor in search for any anomalies. "8%. Sir! Whatever is reacting against the transfer is becoming more active. It is only a matter of time before the two energy sources clash."

"Clash? You mean like fight? I don't understand." Kimizuki said as his eyes darted back and forth between the monitor and Shinoa.

"Yes. The demon from Shinoa's old cursed gear is going to try and fight off the presence of the new one in order to keep its hold on her." Sayuri informed him as she continued to oversee everything.

"Okay, so let me get this straight—if this new demon wins then Shinoa wakes up, but if it loses then she stays asleep?"

"Something like that." Guren answered.

"What the hell does that mean?" Kimizuki snarled, angry that Shinoa's life was in potential danger.

"It means that is what we think will happen. An operation like this has never been done before." Sayuri said to the orange-haired teen.

"What you think!? You mean you are putting Shinoa's life on the line and all for a god damned hunch!" Kimizuki screamed, unable to retain the anger welling up inside of him.

"Shinoa has an unnaturally high resistance to demons. On that notion alone I have faith that she'll be just fine." Guren said coolly, only irritating Kimizuki more.

Looking over her comatose body, Kimizuki was reminded of his sister Mirai. She looked so helpless laying there the way she was, and it was funny because she was supposed to be their leader. But, there she was lying there with her life on the line in what looked like some freak lab experiment. "That's no justification to what you're doing to her, especially when you don't know what's going to happen!" Kimizuki argued as he approached the nurse.

"Kimizuki." The way his name rolled off of Guren's tongue spoke volumes of what was going to happen if he chose to defy his superior here and now. There was enough venom in Guren's voice to paralyze even the most hardened of soldiers, but Kimizuki stood firm creating an atmosphere thick in tension. "It's the only way." Guren added, a little more calmly but with the same amount of authority as before.

"Bullshit." Kimizuki spat before he pulled the nurse away from the monitor to put an end to the experiment once and for all.

"Kimizuki what in the hell do you think you're doing!?" Guren yelled as he got up and tried to stop him.

"Stopping you from doing something stupid to Shinoa! How dare you treat her like some fucking lab experiment!" he spat angrily as he tried to undo the procedure. However, that was really difficult to do with Guren and Sayuri both trying to subdue him.

"You know it's not like that you idiot! Stop before you really do something to hurt her!" Guren yelled loud enough that the members outside heard the commotion and came barging in.

"What's wrong?" was Yu's first words as he scanned the room to help out in any way he could. Mitsuba and Yoichi were close behind him, weapons at the ready.

" _God damn it!"_ Guren cursed mentally as everything was starting to head south. To make matters worse, Kimizuki managed to damage the transfer device, disrupting the flow of energy. "No!" Guren screamed as he tried to reach the scythe in time, but he was too late as a shockwave sent him and everyone in the room flying back. Being the least prepared, Kimizuki was sent ragdolling into the air where he hit his head on the wall and fell unconscious. Gathering his senses, the purple haired colonel looked around to see if everyone else was okay and froze at the sight before him.

From his position on the floor, he saw a pair of small feet and the distinct medical garb that hung just above them. A mixture of icy blue and dark purple energy floated about, vigorously clashing with one another. _"No…not like this."_ Guren reluctantly looked upward to see his worst fears had indeed come true. Shinoa was once again in her demon form, with her long black hair and horn, but behind her was the shadow of the weapon's former guardian. The demon moved Shinoa's body around like that of a puppet and grinned devilishly as it fought off the purple wavelengths that emanated from the girl's body. _"Shinoa's body is fighting itself and the thing is taking control… if we don't do something and soon then Shinoa's body will continue until she completely tears herself apart…"_

"Guren!" Sayuri called as she helped him off the floor and away from Shinoa's possessed form. "Shinoa… she's…" the former teacher's words hitched in her throat, unable to describe the scene in front of her.

"I know." Guren said, wincing as he tried to get to his feet. _"More banged up than I thought."_ He realized.

"What do we do? If we attack the Guardian manifestation, then we risk hurting Shinoa. If we don't then she—"

"The only thing we can. Do enough damage to that thing to give Shinoa's body the fighting chance it needs to restrain the energy." Guren interrupted, not wanting to even think about what would happen should they fail. "Alright Sayuri, get ready to—"

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!" Yuichiro cried out as he ran forward to meet the apparition controlling Shinoa. In his rage, Yu failed to notice that his katana was responding to the energy waves around the room.

"Yu, wait!" Both Mitsuba and Yoichi called out, but they were too late as his sword was merely a few inches away from the connecting with the ghastly jaw.

"Yuichiro! Stop, get away from that thing!" Guren yelled out in a final warning. The colonel would have moved to intercept the emotionally driven teen, but his body wasn't as responsive as he would have liked it to be. Despite trying to bring Yu to see reason, his words were wasted as the edge of the blade sliced into the shadowy figure, resulting in another shockwave and a bright flash of light.

When Guren and the others recovered from the attack, they found Shinoa to be in the same position as before with an unconscious Yuichiro beside her. The spirit behind her however, was in a much different state as it's one solid form was now compromised of hundreds of icy blue bubbles. The floating aqua spheres were still banded together and were moving to make a shape, but at a very slow rate. Asuramaru was stuck floating in the air at the point of contact and seemed to be absorbing the energy around it while letting out a distinct humming sound.

As far as Guren was concerned, the Guardian was attempting to regenerate, but Yuichiro's sword is slowing the process. Yu's condition however, was a complete mystery to him. Given the power of the last shockwave, Yuichiro should have been sent flying back but instead he ended up sprawled out right next to Shinoa. Something about the whole situation was adding up and unfortunately for Guren he didn't have the time to figure it out as he had another problem on his hands.

The energy pouring from Shinoa's body and the Guardian's was starting to spread and much more rapidly. If Guren and the others didn't do something to prevent it and soon, then her energy could spread to every patient in the hospital and kill them. Unable to afford those kind of losses, Guren rose to his feet and unsheathed his own cursed gear before slamming it into the ground and unleashing his own demonic energy into the air.

Lucky for Guren, his energy acted as a wall to prevent Shinoa's energy from flowing out any farther but he could feel the toll it was taking on his body as the two sources fought against one another. While his barrier was holding strong, he wouldn't be able to keep it up much longer given his current state. That's where everyone else came in, as Sayuri, Yoichi, and Mitsuba all offered up their own energy to reinforce Guren's protective wall.

"So now what Colonel? We just stay like this until she calms down a bit or what?" Mitsuba asked with a bit of strain in her voice. Yoichi too also looked to the Shadowridge commander for their next set of orders and awaited a response. Unfortunately, for the two of them it wasn't going to be something that they wanted to hear.

"Something like that. We have to prevent the energy waves from spreading, but at the same time," he paused and gestured over to Shinoa's floating demonic form. Mitsuba and Yoichi followed his eyes and then understood their dilemma. With nowhere to go, the pooling source of demonic energy was beginning to grow more chaotic in its movements, so much so that it was starting to rip away at Shinoa and the unconscious Yuichiro as well. At its current state, it was only capable of causing minor tears in their clothes, but seeing as how much more erratic it was starting to grow the group knew that they didn't have very long before the damage got worse.

"How do we stop this?" Mitsuba asked in his brief pause, to which Guren grinded his teeth in frustration. He didn't know how to stop this. Everything about this operation was uncharted territory and without Kimizuki's ability to seal they were little to no options present.

"Sayuri!" He called. "Be prepared to seal the barrier the moment we open it."

"We're going to open it!? But sir! The hospital—"

"I know what I'm doing Sayuri! Just trust me." Guren interrupted. The woman only nodded her head in response and took a deep breath. There wasn't a person in the world, living or dead that she trusted more than Guren. "Yoichi! The moment we take this thing down, go in and grab Yuichiro."

"What about Shinoa!?" The boy called over the fizzling energy he was currently helping to contain.

"No! In her current state we have no choice but to leave her as she is right now."

"But—" Mitsuba made to protest but was cut off as an energy blast slipped through the barrier and blew a hole in the wall behind them.

"Look! I know that this is hard. Believe me, I want to save her as much as you do right now but, I can't risk any more lives at the moment. Just trust me for now. We will get her out of there. I promise." Guren said in a tone different from any that he'd used before. The two teens and even Sayuri were surprised by the soft and yet strong tone to his voice. It helped to sooth them in what was surely one of the most stressful situations they had ever been in. The group felt both inspired and confident, a feat that was a testament to Guren's natural leadership skills.

"Okay, I'm ready when you are sir." Yoichi said.

"Alright, on my order…3…2…1…GO!"

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

The space wasn't all that foreign to him. The endless expanse shrouded in perpetual darkness was one that he knew all too well. For the longest time, it was the place he'd sit in just before the nightmares emerged from the pools of the dark matter surrounding him. This alternate dimension was tucked in the deepest recesses of his mind, a sub-conscious as it was dubbed by humanity. It was only after he met Asuramaru that he managed to master the place he'd come to fear so much.

But this time, _something_ was different. Despite the familiarity of everything that was around him, he could tell that this wasn't the darkness he'd just so recently conquered. No, it was someone else's darkness entirely. It was thicker and foggier than his own, giving him this feeling of suffocation and claustrophobia.

"Hello?" he called once, as his voice carried on without him in the form of an echo.

No response.

Even with his heightened senses, Yu didn't have much to work with considering he had no sense of direction or any indication of anything being in this realm at all. He really would have felt more at ease if he at least had something to charge at. Given his lack of options, he went to the only other person that could guide him in this current situation.

" _Asuramaru."_ He called out to his inner demon and just like with the abyss, he received no response. _"Come on!"_ the vampire slayer grunted in frustration. _"Now's not the time for this! I need your help…"_ he paused, " _I need your power!"_

Sadly, Yu had to come to the realization that he was alone in the dark. Cursing beneath his breath Yuichiro began moving forward hoping that he'd stumble onto something or someone eventually. Step after step, Yu placed one foot in front of the other taking great care not to deviate in any other direction. The reason for this being he didn't want to wind up going on in a perpetual circle. Although he never would have been able to tell if he was or wasn't seeing as how it was so dark that he couldn't tell if his eyelids were shut or open as it made no difference whatsoever. His little journey was taking blind faith to a whole new level.

And he wandered like this for hours, or at least what he thought were hours as all his experience in his own subconscious taught him that time was heavily distorted in the dream world when compared to that of the real world. He learned that after having a good three hour talk with Asuramaru, realizing that he'd spent three _hours_ away from his team, and in his panic left the subconscious only to see that only a second had passed in his absence in the real world. He remembered the looks on everyone's faces when he tried explaining to them he was gone for three hours. Boy, had they had a good laugh about that.

Now, to anyone else it would have seemed that he had spent what he considered a good portion of his time seemingly going nowhere, but Yuichiro knew that this was not the case. Utilizing his heightened hearing and sense of smell, he was able to pick up on something following him ever since he'd shown up. At first he didn't pursue it because the trace was so weak, but the longer he wandered the stronger the force had become. While he couldn't get a read on who or what was following him, he knew that whatever was doing so was also mirroring his movements. Every time he came to a stop so would the energy source and every time he resumed his walk so would his pursuer.

" _Definitely being trailed."_ He noted. _"Now, just have to see if whatever is following me is friend or foe."_ Yuichiro's muscles tensed up as he came to a sudden stop. Before he bothered to check if the source had done the same, Yu bolted off as fast as he could. Once he'd hit his maximum speed, Yuichiro checked on his "friend" in the dark and found that it was racing to keep up with him. As a matter of fact, it was beginning to close the gap that had separated them. _"Guess it caught on. Well, at least now I can get up close and personal…"_ skidding to a halt, Yu leapt back and landed effortlessly in total darkness just in front of his pursuer.

Crossing his arms in front of him to show that he wasn't afraid, Yu stood tall and confident in front of the looming shadow before him. The thick black fog was starting to recede into the being standing before him and the once pitch black abyss was revealed to be a large room with dull gray walls and chains hanging wildly about like some concrete jungle.

"Nice place you got here." He said sarcastically, finally getting a good look at where he was and of his potential foe. Its shadowy form stemmed from a ghastly tornado like bottom half and its upper half was just as smoky but less condensed. It lacked any facial features as it had a hole that housed a small orange ball of energy that illuminated the facial cavern in its fiery glow. It also had a pair of jagged horns that curved back behind its head and what appeared to resemble fangs. It didn't take Yu very long to realize that he'd seen this demon before.

How could he forget? It was the first demon he'd ever really seen and he'd even tried taking it for himself. It was Shinoa's demon, the one she'd showed him after she tried explaining to him what it really took to kill a vampire among other things that she'd told him that day.

"You?" Yuichiro said in confusion. "But how? Does that mean that I'm…that you're the… Shinoa?" He began to mumble to himself, trying to make sense of it all. Although it didn't make a lot of sense, he had put two and two together to see that he'd somehow ended up in Shinoa's subconscious and he was standing in front of the very being that was keeping Shinoa from waking up. "YOU!" He repeated, this time in anger as he had half a mind to beat the living energy out of the demon in front of him.

Shi hardly moved and wasn't entirely sure on what to say. Yuichiro had somehow ended up within Shinoa's subconscious and was standing right in front of her. When she'd tracked down a foreign entity that had entered Shinoa's comatose body, she immediately shrouded everything in darkness to disorient it. Her fog served as her own defensive barrier, allowing her to keep the invader at bay and when she'd caught wind of a solid form appearing in the middle of her protective shield she figured that it was the energy manifesting. Seeing the boy that Shinoa had seemingly fallen for standing in front of her was definitely not what she was expecting. A part of her wanted to shrug it off as an illusion, but she knew well enough that this was the real deal or at least it was a projection of some sort that was not of Shinoa's or her own doing. Was it a manifestation of the vessel that was currently trying to invade Shinoa's body or was it in fact the real Yuichiro?

"This is all your fault! If I get rid of you then Shinoa can finally wake up!" Yu roared angrily. He reached for Asuramaru on pure instinct only to find that his trusty katana was not on his person. Shi was somewhat taken aback by his words, as she typically thought humans to be careless and power-hungry fools who were only capable of destruction. Yet, here was one in front of her who was actually not here for her power, but rather to save Shinoa herself. Then then there was also the fact that he was showing off so much bravado despite having to know that he was clearly out of his element. No cursed gear and in a domain controlled entirely by her and yet he was just as thick-headed as Shinoa described him.

Even without Asuramaru, Yuichiro was not one who waited for his opponent to attack. With a powerful leap, Yu tried to catch Shi with a vicious roundhouse kick but his foot only succeeded in distorting the image of the ghastly spirit. Shifting back and away from him, Yu landed and tried to close the distance between them not wanting to let up.

Shi had other plans however and vanished just before a punch had connected with her abdomen. "Where'd you go! Come out and face me coward!" Yuichiro cried out in frustration, frantically searching about for any sign of the demon. Hearing a small step from behind him Yu rapidly spun around, fist cocked and ready to deliver a devastating blow.

His fist stopped mere inches from her face. Her soft complexion was disturbed by the creases in her face in part to her confusion at her teammates actions. Her signature orchid hair flowed gently behind her back, as if it was being caressed by the wind. She tilted her head in the way she always did when she was about to say something sarcastic or poke fun at something and smiled ever so-slightly. "You wouldn't hit a girl would you Yuichiro? You'd never get a date in this town if you did!"

"S-S-Shinoa!"

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"Why are you looking at me like that silly? You look like you've seen a ghost." She said to him in her usual calm and soothing manner. His long lost adoptive sister went back to her previous task of cutting up the assortment of potatoes and other vegetables in front of her. "Could you do me a favor and go round up everyone else? The food is going to be ready soon." She asked, pouring the freshly cut ingredients into the boiling pot in front of her.

Confused, Mika decided to do as he was told and turned around to leave. Closing his eyes, he wrapped his fingers around the door knob and prepared himself to re-enter the slums of Sanguinem. This was a memory after all wasn't it?

Except it wasn't a memory, because he didn't walk out into the gloomy and dusky streets of the underground city. As a matter of fact, it was the exact opposite. The sun was shining in all of its radiant glory and there was a gentle seaward breeze that was coupled with the soothing sound of the waves. But above all that he could hear children's laughter. The kind of laughing that couldn't have ever existed in the dark recesses of Sanguinem. This was true, genuine laughter.

And it came from the mouths of those that he thought he'd lost. Something within Mikaela drove him up the hill to where the sounds of laughter emanated from. Maybe it was the desire to see his family again or maybe this was all happening against his will, but none of that was of any importance when his eyes caught sight of them again.

 _Chihiro_.

 _Kōta._

 _Ako._

 _Fumie._

 _Taichi._

Mikaela had no words, as his breath hitched in his throat and his eyes began to water. The kids apparently had heard Mika, as their laughter had subsided and they stopped playing to go and see what was bothering their big brother.

"What's wrong Mika?" They all asked in unison, the younger ones trying to move his hands away from his face while Chihiro and Kōta stood patiently next to him with their hands behind their backs.

It was all too much for the blonde haired vampire. He took a couple of steps back, distancing himself from the apparitions of his past. "No." he said softly, only making his siblings all the more curious about his actions. Before they could step any closer however, Mika had unsheathed his sword and waved it menacingly to keep them away. "Stay back! Don't come any closer!" He warned.

The kids jumped back and let out a frightened squeal, getting the attention of Akane who came outside to see what the commotion was about. "What's going on out here!?" she said like a mother who'd finally lost her patience. Her eyes fell on the frightened children to Mika's sharp and deadly sword, prompting her to run and over and shield the children from potential harm. "Mikaela! What the hell is wrong with you? Put that thing away! You're scaring the kids!" She yelled as courageously as she could.

"Shut up! Shut up all of you! You're not real! You're all dead!" Mika cried hysterically, tears streaming down his face. "None of you are real! My real family… all died before my eyes." He said, unable to hold his sword up any longer as he fell down on his knees. The world itself must've felt his sadness, as the sun disappeared behind dark and ominous clouds that let loose an onslaught of raindrops that drenched the Hyakuya family. He gave in to his sadness and let everything come out. His tears and all the pain that he'd kept locked up inside ever since becoming a vampire. He let it all go.

Seeing their brother in this miserable state spurned something within their hearts, allowing them to put aside their fear and come to his aid. "What are you talking about silly? We never died." Akane said to him matter-of-factly.

"Yeah! Because of you big brother we were able to get away from the vampires!" One of the younger ones commented in glee and adoration. Mika allowed himself to be swallowed up in their embrace, no longer able to fight back anymore.

"It's because of you that we got to see the world Mika. Please don't cry." Akane continued, helping to ease the vampire's pain. Illusion or not, this was the reality that Mikaela wanted. He no longer had the desire to fight it anymore. This is where he would stay, with his real family, in happiness. But it wasn't complete, someone was missing.

"Akane?" He said weakly, rising to his feet with their aid.

"Yes Mika?" the brunette answered warmly.

"Where's Yuichiro?" he asked, wondering where his ever-so defiant brother was off hiding this time. At the mention of his name, all of his siblings' facial expressions had visibly darkened. Seeing this, Mika had automatically assumed the worst: "No… he's not dead is he? Akane! Where is he!?"

"You mean you don't remember?" She said with a hurt look on her face. Seeing that made Mika's stomach churn. He swore that he'd cause whoever hurt Akane a world of hurt when he got his hands on them. Still, he waited for her answer as the tears started to leave her eyes. "He left us. For that other family." She said in disgust.

"You have to bring him back to us big brother! They're just using him!" Chihiro said with tears streaming down her face.

"Yeah! They took him from us so that they could just use him! You need to save him Mika!" Fumie cried while wrapping her arms around his leg as the rest of the children made their pleas to him.

"Kill them Mika. Bring Yu back to us, back to our family where he belongs." They all said in one unified voice. Mikaela was too mesmerized himself to notice the ominous air that was beginning to pour forth from the bodies of his former family members. "Make us whole again." They whispered, gently pulling him into their embrace once more.

He returned their hugs without hesitation, allowing the memories of what it all felt like come flooding back in. It was then that he decided that he would make this family whole again. He had too. Mika knew that it wasn't going to be easy, oh no, Yu never made things easy. But that wasn't going to stop him from achieving the reunion he and his siblings desired.

"Where are you going big brother?" the little ones asked as Mika had suddenly broken the embrace and turned to leave. All of them had a worried look on their face as they watched him begin to distance himself.

"Isn't it obvious? To bring Yuichiro back." He said with a confident smile that was reminiscent of his younger days. The children roared their approval and cheered for their beloved big brother as he started to walk farther and farther away from them. Entranced as he was, Mikaela would never notice that the farther he got from them, the less they looked like the family he once knew.

He didn't see their bodies burn away, as they continued hollering their support. He didn't see the sad expressions on their faces as they began to crumble away into ash. Akane was the last to go and if Mika would have turned around for just one second, he would have been able to see the tears that fell from her eyes.

 **A/N:** _And Chapter 14! I don't know how else to say it, but I got a severe case of the writer's block and man oh man did that put a damper in things! Anywho, I'm going to keep this short this time around so I'll just jump right into the reviews!_

 _Ryujomaru15: Thank you for your continued support and feedback! It really means a lot to me and honestly helps me through some of the patches when I feel like I don't know where I'm going with this sometimes. Thanks for sticking around! I APPRECIATE IT!_

 _DragonMaster128: To be honest, the thought had crossed my mind once or twice but then I realized how much I didn't like it when stories went unfinished so no, I could never abandon this story! I will keep writing and hopefully I won't have such nasty cases of writer's block anymore. Anyways, thanks for your review and I hope to hear from you again!_

 _And that does it for the reviews. So yeah Seraphans, if you have any comments, questions, concerns, or suggestions I'd be happy to hear em! Just shoot me a PM or leave a review! Take care guys! Frosty out!_


	15. Chapter 15: Sleeping Beauty

Disclaimer: I do not own _**Seraph of the End or any of its characters!**_

"Speech"

" _Thoughts"_

Chapter 15: Sleeping Beauty

It was like he was seeing her for the first time in a long while, which was funny because he'd seen her moments ago before he ended up in what he now knew as her subconscious. There was really no way else to explain the complex level of emotions bubbling up inside of him and truthfully, it was all so much for him to take in. He had dozens, no wait… hundreds of questions like; is it really you? Is this where you've been the whole time? Are you okay? Why are we here? The list could go on for hours and yet, he was completely mute.

"What's the matter Yu? Cat got your tongue?" she teased in a manner that was so like her, that he was almost convinced that this was the real deal. She had it all really, the lavender hair, the wry smile, the copper eyes, the sarcastic demeanor. Anybody with eyes could see that this was Shinoa Hiragi. But, Yuichiro had more than eyesight and in his dealings with Asuramaru he knew that he very well be could be looking at a mere projection of the girl he was trying to save.

Or, he was in fact staring at THE Shinoa Hiragi. The one that had been in a coma since their mission in Nagoya and had almost lost her body and will to possession. The one that he couldn't seem to get out of his head ever since that night they'd spent together. The one that had made him realize that he had more to live for then just to avenge the deaths of his family by slaughtering the vampires.

"So this is where you've been hiding out?" Yu replied whilst keeping his senses about him. While the sudden appearance of Shinoa had definitely given him a shock, he was still in a battle and as far as he was concerned Shi could be lurking anywhere waiting for the perfect moment to strike. That meant that even the girl standing before him was just as dangerous as the darkness surrounding them.

"Hiding out? What are you talking about? I'm not hiding." Shinoa answered with a small frown. Yu's words had gone a long way in confusing her, as her experiences told her that everything was perfectly normal. Or was it?

"You've been in a coma for two weeks now Shinoa. Your demon was trying to possess you and your body shut down." Yuichiro said bluntly. He watched her closely, looking for any flaw that would prove that he was merely looking at a façade.

"What? Did you get hit in the head or something Yu?" She said with what appeared to be genuine concern. Shinoa approached him with a caring hand extended outward, but Yu stepped back reflexively, causing her to retreat back. "Is something wrong?" She paused, "Don't tell me that you're afraid of girls." She joked, but Yuichiro was in no laughing mood.

"Now's not the time for jokes Shinoa! Just look around you! Can't you see where we are? You're being controlled by your cursed gear! You've been asleep this whole time. This place—all of this," he gestured, "is all just an illusion! Snap out of it Shinoa!" he said, finally having had lost his patience.

"Controlled?" Shinoa repeated with another frown. She tapped her lip with her forefinger and took a moment to process what was being said to her. Shinoa didn't feel like she was being controlled at all, but she did feel that something was amiss, but she just couldn't put a finger on it.

"Yes." Yuichiro answered plainly, still unsure of how to go about his current situation. For all he knew he was talking to air, but on the off chance that he was dealing with the real Shinoa he had to do his best. He continued to watch her curiously, as she took in her surroundings.

"I don't understand." She said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"I don't understand." Shinoa repeated.

"What's not to understand?" Yu asked, hoping that this would be the only time he needed to clarify himself. Given an enemy, Yu could take it down no problem but given words and he'd stumble around like a newborn horse trying to explain himself.

"If I'm being controlled, then why does everything feel—normal?"

"What's normal about a shadowy abyss?" Yu commented.

"Shadowy abyss? Okay in all seriousness, are you okay? Do you even know where we are right now?" Shinoa asked.

"You mean to tell me that you don't see the thick black fog that is surrounding is in this giant—"he paused as he realized he wasn't in an abyss anymore. "what the?" he said out loud, confused at how the environment around him had changed so quickly. It happened so fast that he didn't even notice that he was standing in some sort of apartment, complete with a cozy fireplace and a bunch of neatly arranged furniture. Shinoa also had undergone a transformation, as she wasn't in her JIDA uniform but, was clad in a peach colored shirt and black shorts. Her hair wasn't up in its usual clip and her appearance told him that she had been relaxing prior to his arrival. Right then and there he understood just how much control Shi had over Shinoa, and the look she was giving him made him realize that Shinoa was living in a completely different reality than he was.

"Well? I haven't got all day you know." She said with a slight giggle as Yu snapped back to attention. "If you're done daydreaming now, care to tell me why you showed up at my apartment? _*Gasp!*_ Don't tell me you've come to confess your love to me!" She reverted back to her usual self.

"What? No that isn't why I came here." Yu answered quickly with a small blush. Even though Shinoa noticed the hint of red in Yuichiro's cheeks, the serious tone he took on told her that she needed to put the joking aside for now. Although, she couldn't help but feel curious about his state of embarrassment at her little jab. Was there really a possibility that he felt the same way that she did? Before she could ask however, Yuichiro started to explain the real reason he showed up out of thin air. He went over every detail, from their encounter with Mika to the success of their most recent mission.

Shinoa knew well enough that Yuichiro was not a very good liar and he typically was straightforward in most of his dealings with everyone, so hearing his story got her thinking. She tried to remember some of the things that he had mentioned and found that she could not place herself in any of the scenarios that he had described. The last thing that she remembered clearly was when she watched Yuichiro overdose on the soldier pill and seeing as how he was currently standing in front of her, she knew that there was at least some truth to his story. Then there was also that lingering feeling that she had about something not adding up. She remembered a fight, one that made her recall her past. She was fighting someone very close to her and that was all she could put together before her head started to hurt and she had to sit down.

Seeing her state of discomfort, Yu moved closer but maintained a safe distance just in case it was a trap. "Are you okay?" He asked as his eyes scanned the room for anything that might explain Shinoa's current state. Although the apartment looked normal enough, Yuichiro could tell that this was an illusion and a very complex one at that. If this was the real Shinoa that he was talking to, then this was without a doubt the means in which Shi was holding her hostage. Putting two and two together, Yuichiro now understood why Shinoa had thought that he was lying before. This prison had simulated her real life and thus she never knew that she was asleep this whole time. He cursed the demon responsible for this and vowed to break Shinoa out of her coma if it was the last thing he ever did. Shinoa's sharp cry of pain broke him out of his thoughts and without thinking he went over to her to see what was happening.

The scythe wielding leader had fallen to her knees and her hands were pressed to her ears like she was shielding them from a loud screeching sound. "Shinoa!" Yu cried as he tried to think of something that would ease her pain.

Shinoa's torment came in the form of the loud machine that Tenri had used on her to bring out 'her abilities.' The constant wail of the siren mixed in with the cackling noise of electricity building up terrified her, as she knew what was coming at the end of the charging cycle. She covered her ears, thinking that if maybe she didn't hear the sound anymore, then maybe it would go away and she'd be safe. But that wasn't the case, as no matter how hard she pressed Shinoa found that she could hear the Machine clear as day.

"Make it stop." She said softly as she curled up into a ball.

"Make what stop?" Yuichiro asked as he tried to comfort her, but to no avail. He used every one of his advanced senses to try and locate the root of Shinoa's condition, but just like before he ended up with nothing. Either the illusion was blocking out his highly tuned senses, or Shi had figured out a way to mask her presence entirely and either one of those situations was not good for Yuichiro.

"Please make it stop!" Shinoa cried at louder this time, scaring the already panicked Yuichiro. He didn't understand why she had become so afraid all of a sudden. Was it because of him? Or was it something else entirely? He could see the tears of fear sliding down her face and every part of him wanted to console her and tell her that everything was okay, but it was like she couldn't hear him anymore. It was like she was trapped in a nightmare, a situation that he understood all too well.

Then, he began to hear them, the ominous whispers that echoed throughout the room. He couldn't quite make out what they were saying, as he heard several different voices and they were all jumbled together. _"Is this what's causing her to act this way? I wish I understood what they were saying! Damn it!"_ he cursed beneath his breath. The whispers only grew louder and louder, before they started to take on a shadowy form in the center of the room. _"What the—"_ Yu thought as he watched mini dark clouds start to swirl around one another, taking on an undeterminable shape

It wasn't long before Shi emerged from the dark clouds in the room. Her sudden appearance didn't come as much of a surprise to Yu, but the complete vaporization of Shinoa's apartment did. _"Here we go."_ He thought as Shinoa's scythe materialized in the arms of her ghastly inhabitant.

"Time for you to go." Shi said triumphantly. Yu however, thought otherwise and stood defensively over the ailing Shinoa. Although he still didn't know whether or not this was just an illusion, a feeling in his gut told him that the real deal was behind him and needed his help. He may have not had his weapon in this battle and he clearly was at a disadvantage, but that wasn't going to stop him from winning the fight that was sure to come.

"That's not for you to decide." Yu hissed, daring the dark spirit to come closer with his tone and piercing gaze. Shi merely laughed heartily, knowing that she had the upper hand in this fight. Still, Shi didn't move in any closer and kept its distance, confusing Yuichiro.

"You're right. It isn't my decision to make, but it is hers." The demon said, gesturing behind Yuichiro and towards Shinoa. Sensing a change in the air around him Yu spun around expecting to be face to face with a minion of Shi's but was instead greeted to Shinoa's altered demonic form. The black hair, purple aura, and horn was like nothing he had ever seen before. It was almost like he was staring at a completely different person. "Shinoa?" he called out, but he received no answer. She was too far gone now to hear anything.

"She can't hear you." Shi informed him.

"Bullshit! You did this to her didn't you!?" Yu returned his attention back towards Shi, pointing an accusing finger at the ghost-like apparition.

"I didn't do anything. This was all of your doing." Shi replied casually.

"Liar!"

"Believe what you want. It isn't like it's going to matter anyways, since you'll be dead!" Shi cried out as she lashed forward with the scythe. Before the attack could reach Yuichiro however, a cloudy purple mist had caught the attack mid-swing and was holding the spirit at bay. "What is this!?"

Yuichiro turned around, thinking that Shinoa had finally come to her senses and had come to his aid in the nick of time. Instead, he found a far more horrifying sight as behind Shinoa was the shadowy purple form of the very creature that he thought he had killed in the Cave of Origin and boy, did it look pissed. _"Well that can't be good."_ He sighed, knowing that he was going to be in for a longer fight than he originally had anticipated. See, not only did he have to re-kill the beast that had almost wiped out his team in their first bout against one another, but he had to do it without a weapon and with the beast using Shinoa like some sort of puppet as it didn't look like it had materialized yet.

"Make it stop." He heard Shinoa continue to mumble beneath her breath. Her pleas for help were like daggers to his heart as he knew better than anybody what it was like to be trapped in a never ending nightmare, as he recalled the many sleepless nights he suffered because of the massacre of his family. Having been in the position before, Yuichiro was going to do for Shinoa what Guren had done for him in those seemingly never-ending nights, comfort her and hit her with reality.

"So this is how it's going to be then? You, our fearless leader is just going to crawl into a corner and beg for someone to come and solve your problems for you? You and I both know that is just plain stupid, because you should know better than anyone else that you are the one that needs to make the nightmares stop." Yu began speaking to the possessed Shinoa, hoping that somewhere inside her altered form that she was hearing his words.

"You fool! What are you doing!? She can't hear you!" Shi called out, still struggling with the mist that had ensnared her.

Choosing to ignore her, Yuichiro continued speaking to the possessed Shinoa, knowing that this was his best chance given that it was preoccupied with Shi at the moment. "Believe me, I know what it's like to have to relive the past. I did it every day of my life after Guren had found me that day. I never let anyone get close to me and I was so fixated on my revenge that I forgot about the things that really mattered. Shinoa, you and the others made me realize that it was okay to let go and move on. Because of Shinoa Squad, I have a family again and I'll be damned if I let anything happen to it!" he sounded off, charging head first towards Shinoa.

Noticing the sudden movement, Shinoa's puppeteer sent out a wave of razor sharp tentacle like appendages that were meant to deal with the approaching teen. Seeing the obstacles coming his way, Yu reacted accordingly, sliding under the first tentacle and leaping over the second. He had a close shave with the third as it nearly took off his right arm. The closer he got to reaching Shinoa, the harder the appendages became to dodge but, Yu continued his charge regardless of the cuts and wounds he received. Persistence however, was unfortunately not going to win him this battle as one of the razor tentacles had pierced his shoulder just as he was within a couple of feet of Shinoa's position.

Yuichiro gritted his teeth and bore the pain, after all he was no stranger to injury. He tried pulling the tentacle out of his skin, but when that didn't work out he decided there was only one other way to get to Shinoa.

He took one step forward. Naturally, the tentacle pushed further into the wound as a result but, despite the searing pain he did not allow himself to cry out in agony. Mentally preparing himself for the next surge of pain, Yuichiro took a deep breath and another step. He winced and stopped for a brief moment, but one look at Shinoa's tear-stained face and Yu didn't hesitate to take another step forward. The pain was constant now, as the wound had opened further and the tentacle had punctured on through to his back. Regardless, Yuichiro didn't let up and was slowly closing the gap that separated him from Shinoa.

"Make it stop." He heard her call out again.

"Snap out of it Shinoa!" He said with all of his available strength. Now that he was closer, he saw that Shinoa was in fact reacting to the sound of his voice as her eyelids twitched slightly. The Guardian must have noticed this too, as it threw Shi against the ground and focused its attention on the boy.

"Make it stop."

"Wake up Shinoa!" he barked as he barely leaned out of the way of an appendage that would have surely ran him through.

"Make it stop."

"Damn it Shinoa, WAKE UP!" He yelled out again, as she twitched noticeably causing the Guardian's attacking tentacles to narrowly miss the exposed Yuichiro. Knowing that his luck wouldn't last forever, Yu grabbed hold of the tentacle that had impaled him and used it to pull himself faster toward Shinoa.

"Make it stop."

Just as he was within arms reach of Shinoa however, the Guardian had managed to impale Yuichiro again through the chest. The green-eyed vampire slayer coughed up blood and found it difficult to move as he could feel himself weakening. Nonetheless, Yu did not come all that way just to give in when he'd gotten so close. With one final step, Yuichiro found himself standing next to the floating form of the altered Shinoa. Having no strength left, Yu rested his forehead against Shinoa's and took in every feature of her face. Yuichiro could only describe the scene like one of the children's stories he used to read, the one about the prince who awoke the sleeping princess with a kiss. _"Sleeping Beauty…"_ he recalled the name of the story. The pain was so immense and he knew that his time was almost up. He only had one more chance to…

" _Make it stop_ " She whispered.

Hearing it so close, Yu had to resist the urge to laugh. Given the amount of pain he was currently in, he found the whole situation ironic. He had come all this way to fulfill her wish and yet, it was like their roles had reversed. Did he want the pain to stop? Yes. But, yet here he was right next to her and he had no one to blame for this but himself. And he was perfectly okay with that, because he'd endure any amount of pain for Shinoa and for anyone else he deemed a member of his family no matter the cost to him.

Having sensed that Yuichiro was still alive, the Guardian's tentacles began to move in with every intent to finish off the problematic teen.

"Didn't you hear me Shinoa? I said—wake up." Yu barely managed to get out as his final sliver of strength had faded. Without a means to support himself, Yu fell forward where his lips accidently met hers. While it wasn't the first kiss that either of them envisioned, it was their first nonetheless and as Yu fell to the ground, all he could think about was the softness of her lips and how he wanted to do it again.

And all of this happened in a second. One measly second and yet, that one second was all that Shinoa needed as she felt a jolt through her body and her eyes snapped open just in time to see Yuichiro falling to his knees. She saw the razor sharp razor-like tentacles approaching from behind him and her first instinct was to jump in the way to save the boy she had fallen in love with. But, she didn't need to do that as her awakening had broken the Guardian's hold on her causing his entire form to dissipate into the shapeless purple cloud it was before. With no immediate threat to be seen, Shinoa turned her attention to her fallen savior, who she wasn't even aware had kissed her. The only thing she remembered was having this strange sensation and hearing his gentle voice telling her to wake up. Then when she came to and saw what was happening around her she was left with a bunch of questions like what was going on and where were they.

Then, it had to be her luck that the one person that had the answer to all of her questions was lying on the floor unconscious. She breathed a mega-sigh of relief when she found that he was still breathing and that his wounds were already starting to heal on their own. Looking at his battered and bruised body made her wonder just what in the hell had happened in the time she had 'passed out.'

Hearing a noise behind her, Shinoa rose quickly and assumed a battle stance ready to defend Yuichiro with her life if need be. She relaxed a little bit when she saw Shi reforming herself, but still remained wary as she remembered that they weren't on the best of terms at the moment.

"So, you're awake." Shi said incredulously.

"Yeah and it looks like you had a party while I was gone. I'm a little hurt Shi." Shinoa responded, sticking true to her nature. While she had put on her usual sarcastic façade, Shinoa was very angry. Given that Shi was the only other being capable of inhabiting her mindscape, the only logical explanation was that Shi had been the one who'd hurt Yuichiro. Still, seeing that she was currently unarmed and Shi had her scythe, she wasn't about to go charging into a losing battle.

"I wouldn't call it that." Shi replied.

"You hurt my friend and here I was thinking that I'd raised you better. _Tsk. Tsk."_

"While it is true that I did engage that boy in combat, I was not the one who inflicted the wounds on his body." Shi revealed.

"Then who did?" Shinoa asked.

"Isn't it obvious? If I didn't do it, then the only candidate left is you, Shinoa. You were the one who wounded Yuichiro." Shi's revelation turned Shinoa's entire world upside down.

" _I hurt…Yu? No…that's…it isn't…possible… I would never!"_ she thought in disbelief. "Liar! I would never hurt one of my friends!" Shinoa cried out, trying to convince herself that this was all just a mind-game that Shi was playing.

"Very true, Shinoa. You would never hurt one of your friends willingly, but you and I both know that the darker side of you has no qualms in harming friend or foe. The creature that hides in your shadow, the monster that your human relatives created, it has awoken. You and I both agreed that if you ever lost control then I would take over to prevent it from ruining you." Shi spoke reasonably.

"No! That's impossible! I… I locked it away! I am in control of it!"

"Tell that to your friend over there." Shi countered, effectively ending Shinoa's argument. "The humans that you have chosen to call your friends are currently working on a way to resurrect you, unaware that their work is only fueling the transformation that the Hiragi's had originally desired of you. We are running out of time Shinoa. The time has come for me to take over. You know that is the only way to save us both and the best means to keep your friends from unnecessary harm. Resistance is futile, so I'm going to ask you just this one time Shinoa, please stand down. In the years that I have spent with you I have come to enjoy your company and while I wish there was another way to handle this situation, I'm afraid our hands are tied. I'd rather not have to hurt you, but I will if you leave me no choice. So what's it going to be? Are you going to come quietly or are you going to make this harder on both of us?"

Shinoa had long since dropped her defensive stance and instead stood with clenched fists and a broken heart. It just wasn't fair. She didn't ask to be some lab experiment in the Hiragi's twisted schemes. All she wanted was to live a normal life, like everyone else around her yet no one ever gave her the chance. All they saw was a demon child and a lab rat. Not a little girl who just wanted a friend and to be her own person. That was all she wanted. And she held onto that dream every day and just when she'd reached it, she had to give it up because of the Hiragi Legacy. She didn't care about the tears that fell from her face or about the fact that she had a dangerous demon lurking inside of her, but rather that there was the possibility that she'd never see her friends again.

As selfish as she wanted to be, there was no denying Shi's words. There was always that risk that she'd lose control of the monster that Tenri and his scientists created would wreak havoc on everything she held dear. She couldn't bear the thought of everything she loved being torn apart by something that was controlling her body. She knew her friends well enough that she understood that they wouldn't have it within them to put her down if the situation called for it. Even if they managed to escape her wrath, they'd only come back with another alternative that would ultimately prove useless and the cycle would repeat until they were all dead or she was.

Despite the unfairness of it all, Shinoa knew what had to be done. To save her friends and the world she held dear, she would make the ultimate sacrifice. Shi must have sensed her change of heart as the scythe-wielding demon spoke up, breaking the silence. "I see you finally understand the situation and based on your body language, I take it you have reached a decision. So, what is it going to be?"

The time for thought had run out and Shinoa had a difficult decision to make. It wasn't one that she would be happy about, but in the long run she knew that it would be for the best. Yeah, she was leaving without saying goodbye and she wished that she could have seen everyone one last time, but then again if she had, she sincerely doubted that she would be able to go through with the decision afterwards. Having stalled long enough, Shinoa cleared her throat and in a voice as confident as she could muster, she said, "I'm—"

"Don't…you…dare." A coarse voice said from behind her. She immediately recognized that the voice belonged to Yuichiro, who was currently struggling to get to his feet.

"Yuichiro, please don't make this harder than it has to—"

"NO!" he said with more strength than before.

"I'm a monster…" Shinoa said softly, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

There was a low chuckle, one that could only be attributed to Yuichiro as he'd finally managed to stand on two feet. "And that's supposed to scare me? We've all got monsters inside of us Shinoa." Yu countered.

"You don't understand! You are all in danger because of me!" Shinoa tried convincing her fellow team mate, but Yu wasn't having any of it.

"What does that change? The only thing we seem to know is danger."

"I can't control it Yu…"

"Then we will help you control it." Yuichiro offered.

"It doesn't work like that."

"I don't care how it works. We'll find a way."

"Could you stop being a stubborn idiot for once and just listen to me!" Shinoa cried out, having finally lost her patience.

"I did listen to you! I've been listening this whole damn time! I know that you think you are being some sort of valiant hero, sacrificing yourself for our sake but deep down you and I both know that this isn't something that you want to do. I don't care what that blubbering demon of yours has to say about whatever the hell is inside of you, I care about the girl standing in front of me. You act like you can just walk away from all of this, from us and everything will be okay. But you know that it won't be. We need you, Shinoa…just as much as you need us. Our family wouldn't be complete without you. Call me stubborn, you can even call me an idiot if it makes you feel better, but if you think I'm just going to let you walk away from us then you have another thing coming."

"I could kill all of you…"

"That's never going to happen." Yu called her bluff.

"How do you know!? You haven't seen the things that I am capable of when I lose control."

"Because you are Shinoa, and the Shinoa I knew wouldn't give up when things got tough. Sure, you're crazy, perverted, and you are a little weird sometimes, but that's what makes you, well you. Even then, you were the first person that helped me to understand that there was more for me to live for than just revenge. Not only did you give me a new purpose, but a new family as well. I can't really explain how much you mean to me in words…mainly because I'm no good with them anyways, but just know that I can't let you walk away. So what, there is this crazy powerful monster living inside of you and there is always that risk that it may possibly possess you one day. Welcome to the club. You're just going to have faith that we are crazy enough to find some sort of solution, because I truly believe that as long as I have you guys, that we can accomplish anything. You don't have to do this alone Shinoa. You know that. So stop acting like it… and just come back with us."

Having used more than his fair share of words for the day, Yu relaxed a little and extended his hand out towards his lavender-haired friend. Maybe it was all the complex emotions bubbling up inside of her or maybe Shinoa had finally made up her mind, but she slapped his hand away and threw herself into his arms where she hugged him with all of her might.

"Ow! Ow! Hey, hey not so tight!" Yu complained, but deep down he was happy that Shinoa had made the right decision.

"Oops! Sorry, guess I got a little carried away there." Shinoa said sheepishly while still wrapped up in the hug. It was a good thing for her that her face was still buried in his chest, effectively hiding the reddish tint on her cheeks. The girl took a step back and was sporting a huge grin. Until that moment, Yuichiro didn't realize how much he had missed her smile. It was good to have her back on board.

Before Yuichiro could respond, Shi's voice had echoed throughout the endless abyss as the she had disappeared into the darkness once more. "I was really hoping that it didn't have to come to this, but you leave me no choice Shinoa. If you won't come to your senses then I will just have to make you see the error in your ways!"

"Watch the shadows closely Yu, Shi could be anywhere." Now back to back, the duo searched the shadows for any sign of their dark assailant. Shinoa was the first to spot the demon as it leapt out from their right side, intent on eliminating the two of them with one blow. "Lookout!" Shinoa cried out as Yuichiro instinctively stepped in front of the attack to protect her. Before the blade ever came close to touching them however, Yuichiro and Shinoa watched in amazement as dark purple like tendrils grabbed Shi mid-attack and dragged her back into the darkness. "What in the hell was that!?" Shinoa asked as she moved to grab the scythe that Shi had dropped. While her mind was still reeling over what just transpired, she did have to admit that it felt good to hold her own scythe again.

"This can't be good." Yuichiro said as his enhanced hearing allowed him to hear some sort of struggle going on within the shadowy fog.

"What, why? Can you see what's going on in there?"

"Not exactly." Yuichiro answered.

"Then?" Shinoa asked, wanting clarification on why things were 'not good'.

"It's a long story. Basically, I have enhanced senses and I can hear Shi struggling in the fog and it doesn't sound like she's doing too well against it. If the Guardian has her pinned, then you and I are in for a real fight."

"Guardian? Enhanced senses? Do you mind explaining to me just what the hell is going on?"

"Like I said, it's a long story and we don't really have time for that right now. It sounds like Shi just lost the fight and whatever won is on its way here right now. Be on your guard." Yuichiro said. At first Shinoa pouted because she wasn't in the loop on things, but when she heard and felt the thunderous footsteps that were quickly approaching she knew that she didn't have time to worry about all the details. Given how nervous and offset Yuichiro looked, she knew that whatever was coming had to have been extremely powerful, because if the one person who recklessly charged headfirst into battle was nervous then surely this was going to be the fight of their lives.

The footsteps grew louder and heavier as the seemingly empty abyss started to shake from the mini-quakes. "Yu, just how big is this thing?" Shinoa asked, thinking that they were about to go up against some colossal mutation that was going to be bigger than one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. She never did get her answer directly from Yuichiro, as almost a second after she'd asked her question, the beast emerged from the fog.

It was very different when compared to the first time that Yuichiro had saw it in the Cave of Origin. Gone was the icy and furry wolf-like look, and in was a hybrid combination of Shi's anatomy and the Guardian's previous design. It was now a translucent purple with patches of Shi's shadowy armor like circling its body. It had also taken Shi's face, the gaping mouth hole with the twisted horns on both sides of its head and it stood taller than before. The blue veins were completely absent as a purplish mist poured out from its body and center core, which rested on an immobile patch of shadow armor and was bathed in an orange glow. It was also wielding the ice scythe that he and the others had recovered for Shinoa in their mission. _"So it still has the same weak point."_ Yuichiro thought as he noticed the core.

"Shinoa, go for the core on its chest. That's its weak point. Since I don't have a weapon, I'll try and distract it while you go in for the kill."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean I'm all for killing this thing but, sending you in there weaponless just doesn't sound like a sound strategy." Shinoa said.

"I've fought this thing before, you're just going to have to trust me." Yuichiro replied.

"I trust you, just don't go getting yourself killed alright? I know how much you love to play the hero." She teased.

"I won't." Yuichiro said just as the Guardian let out a mighty roar that rocked the abyss. To anyone else, that roar would've signaled that it would be best if they ran, but to Shinoa and Yuichiro that meant that it was time to run head first into danger. Were they crazy? Hell yeah they were and as long as they had each other's back, they were going to be just fine.

 _ **A/N: WHOOO! Chapter 15 everybody! In this installment, I tried to bring the feels and also the Yuunoa moments that I had promised! I know that the moments weren't the biggest of like romantic scenes and I'm still relatively new to writing things like that so bear with me, I promise there will be plenty more (hopefully better too!) but, yeah let me know how I did and if any of you romantics have any advice, please feel free to share. Man, 15 chapters… I never thought I'd come this far but here we are Seraphans! Thank you to all of you who have tuned in to this story and have stuck by it, because without you all none of this would have been possible! With that being said, it's REVIEW RESPONSE TIME!**_

 _ **Ryujomaru15: As always your review is always appreciated… and the NEXT CHAPTER IS HERE! Thank you for continuing to support this story and for your reviews! They really do mean a lot!**_

 _ **Eramis8: Sort of. He does tend to act on his desire to protect those he cares for and that's completely natural for his character. At least I think so anyways given that he lost everything he ever held dear at an early stage of his life. Now that he has moved on and even found another family, I think that's what really drives him. To keep them safe, because like I said he's already lost everything and to lose it again… well I couldn't even imagine what that would be like. Still, he also has other reasons for doing the things he does, revenge being one of them. I don't know, I guess the desire to help is the easiest one to write about because it is just a central part of his character. Thanks for the review though and if you have any more comments or suggestions please feel free to send them my way!**_

 _ **I believe that does it for the last chapter. Anywho, I went back and saw that I did reference Shi as a he in one of the earlier chapters. I'm going to go back and fix that when I get a chance. Other than that, I think we are all good and gravy! So yeah, if any of you have any comments, questions, suggestions, or concerns, please feel free to shoot me a PM or leave a review! Until next time Seraphans, Frosty out!**_


	16. Chapter 16: Facing Demons

Disclaimer: _**I DO NOT OWN Seraph of the End or any of its characters.**_

Chapter 16: Facing Demons

"Speech"

" _Thoughts"_

To most, the dusky ghoulish green glow of Sanguinem wouldn't be described as 'eye-catching' and for someone like Mikaela Hyakuya would definitely agree. Who could blame him? But then again, from where he was sitting, the sight couldn't have been more beautiful. The whole irony of the situation caused the normally stoic half-ling to smirk. He hated the place or he wanted to hate it at least. But how could he? It had been his home for the better part of his life and the place that had brought his 'family' closer together. Even in all of its misery, the city of Sanguinem had offered him more than anything the world up above ever did.

And that was the sadness of it all. The wonderful world above just wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Yet, here he was, sitting on the ledge that he and his family had used to escape to that glorious myth. _"Too bad it was all for nothing."_ He thought. Then just like that, the city of Sanguinem had lost its beauty in his eyes and he shifted his gaze to the jagged cavern rooftop above. The rocky surface offered him nothing in the department of scenery, but it did grant him temporary solace of the painful memories that were slowly beginning to surface.

"Well, are you ready to go yet or what?" A voice called out to him. Mikaela closed his eyes and let his head drop against his chest. He'd forgotten that he wasn't alone in his little trip back to the surface. "Hello? Earth to Blue! Is anyone there?"

"You don't need to come with me you know. I don't need you." Mikaela responded in his usual disinterested tone. Having sat long enough, the blonde vampire rose to his feet and dusted himself off as he waited for his red-headed companion's reply.

"And let you wander the surface all by your lonesome? I wouldn't want you to get lost or eaten out there Blue." Scarlett replied sarcastically.

"I can handle myself."

"Uh-huh. Sure you can." Scarlett said as she pried the gate off the sewer entrance. Mika just grunted as he walked up to join her. "Jeez, you really are always like this aren't you? It's no wonder you don't have any friends." Scarlett called back as she entered the sewers.

"Who needs friends when you have family?" Mika shot back as he caught up with her.

"Ouch. Guess I know where I stand in your circle." She paused, "Even so that doesn't change the fact that we're stuck together on this mission, so if you can stop being such a buzzkill I'd really appreciate it."

"We don't have to be. You could always just turn around and head home and no one would ever have to know. I wouldn't say anything." Mikaela put in. The smirk on his face told Scarlett that for once he might actually be joking, but then again she knew that even if he was there was still a part of him that wanted her gone.

"Ooh—you'd like that wouldn't you?"

"Yes."

"Well too bad. Maybe if you hadn't gone and blown up the infirmary at Krul's castle then maybe you could be trusted. That new sword of yours has a nasty habit of turning you into a weapon of destruction and since you gave us such a hard time when we tried to take it from you, the only option you are left with is in being chaperoned." Scarlett argued.

"I wouldn't need to be chaperoned if you hadn't dragged me into that hole in the first place." Mika retorted.

"No one asked you to take the sword. Besides Krul ordered this, not me. If this bothers you so much then go take it up with her. Do us both a favor." She grunted. After their little adventure in the Cave of Origins, Scarlett thought that Mikaela was beginning to warm up to her. Then came the incident in the infirmary and it was like he was back to his normal attitude. Krul was the only one that Mika seemed comfortable around, but that was a given considering she was a walking blood bank for the guy. It wouldn't be very smart for Mikaela to bite the hand that was feeding him. Still, the way he was acting was really starting to get on her last nerve. Scarlett could be extremely patient, but even the carefree vampire had her limits.

"Whatever." He grunted in defeat as they began their trek through the winding sewers. Neither of them really spoke to each other after that as they were both preoccupied with their own thoughts. Scarlett had her head filled with questions, specifically about Mikaela and the role he played in Krul's schemes. The red-head was no stranger to the political processes of Sanguinem and given Mika's Seraph status, there was no doubt that Krul was planning something very big.

On the other hand, Mika's thoughts were in the one place that he never thought they'd be. On the mission. While Krul Tepes had indeed saved his life, Mikaela had no interest in the affairs of vampires. He knew that he was being used in some grand scheme, but he didn't really care. The only thing that mattered to him was in 'reuniting' his family. He promised Akane and the others he would and nothing was going to stop him this time. Not only did he get the go-ahead from Krul (no doubt because of the commotion he caused) but, he didn't have to travel with anyone else. Well, sort of.

" _All I have to do is give her the slip when the time is right. Then, I can escape with Yuichiro and I can reunite with the others once more. Our family will be whole again and no one will ever bother us again."_ Lost in his thoughts, Mika was brought out of them when he slammed into Scarlett's back sending them both falling into the filthy waters of the sewers.

"What the hell is your problem!?" Scarlett roared as she got to her knees. The fiery red-head had finally had enough.

"My problem? You're the one who stopped walking!" Mika countered.

"Uh—DUH! What, did you want me to walk past our destination? Or did you forget where we were going?" she said with her arms now on her hips. Mika just rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. While he wasn't entirely thrilled about Scarlett's company, he knew that in this particular situation he was in the wrong.

"You're right…I'm sorry… I wasn't paying attention." He muttered beneath his breath.

"What?" Scarlett asked.

"I said I was sorry."

"Holy shit. You actually apologized." She said dumbfounded.

"Yeah—look—whatever okay? Can we just get going?" Mika said in a rare display of discomfort. For Scarlett however, it was almost like they were having a normal interaction. This kind of thing seemed to happen on occasion the more time that they spent together. Did she have this effect on him or was he always like this? Of course, she'd have no way of knowing but for now she decided to continue on their way.

"Sure thing, just don't go knocking me into any more puddles okay? I know you must love seeing me all—"

"DON'T!" Mika interrupted before she made things awkward. The blonde teen couldn't have been more thankful for the dim lighting of the sewers that hid the mad blush that had taken over his pale face.

"Are you blushing?" She teased further.

"NO!" he denied vehemently.

"Jeez." She chuckled. "Lighten up will ya? I was only teasing you…or was I?" she replied just as they exited the sewers.

" _This is going to be one LOOOONG trip."_ Mika thought with a sigh. Most people would have been worried about their food supply or avoiding the Four Horsemen. For Mikaela Hyakuya, it was in hoping that they could make it through to their next checkpoint without Scarlett seeing the blush on his face.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Even in her subconscious mind, Yuichiro Hyakuya had somehow found a way to bring about that aching feeling in her chest. It wasn't like it was a bad feeling or anything. As a matter of fact, Shinoa kind of liked the fact that he had this effect on her. For someone who spent most of her time getting underneath people's skin, she had to say that it felt good that someone else had finally managed to get under hers. Still, ever since the discovery of her feelings for him she couldn't help but feel like they were a weakness, like it was holding her back from being herself. That alone frustrated her and more often than not she found herself questioning what she should do. Tell the boy of her growing affection? _Hell no._ There was no way she'd put herself in any position like that. Then again if she did it would finally yield her with the answer she so fervently desired. _Does he feel the same way?_

Oh what to do, what to do!

"Get out of the way!"

" _Huh?"_ And like a deer in headlights, Shinoa remembered where she was. A hulking beast was rampaging toward her, swinging an otherworldly scythe around like a crazed madman. Suddenly the voice she heard earlier made sense. Her brain scrambled to send signals to her legs. _Move! Move!_ It commanded. A second later and Shinoa was out of harm's way and her foe was swinging at a ghost from her past.

Having narrowly avoided death, Shinoa let out a sigh of relief. _"Ooo! That was close."_ She giggled. Now that her body and mind were back on the battlefield, Shinoa Hiragi was ready to play. Fully aware that she was in her own mind, Shinoa decided a change of scenery was in order. Before anyone knew it, the dark and gloomy void that they were trapped in had suddenly been cast out for a nice and sunny day at the beach.

"What the hell?" Yuichiro commented. To go from a dark and tense atmosphere to one of relaxation was definitely reason enough to raise an eyebrow. Seeing the look on Shinoa's face was enough for him to figure out that the change in venue was definitely her doing.

"All right!" she said, successfully gaining both Yuichiro's and the demon's attention. "I am going to be nice here and give you one chance to make this easy on yourself!" She pointed her finger at the Shi-Guardian hybrid.

" _What the hell is she doing now?"_ Yuichiro thought.

"I am going to give you to the count of three to drop the scythe and get the hell out of my head! One!" she began. Her lack of fear and willingness to speak caused the great demon some confusion, giving Yuichiro a splendid idea. "Two!" she warned. Moving as discreetly as possible, Yuichiro positioned himself behind their lumbering adversary and waited for the perfect moment to strike. Before Shinoa could finish her countdown, the Guardian unleashed a roar so loud that it caused a shift in the incoming tide. Unwilling to be stalled any longer, the hulking demon rushed forth only to encounter a startling surprise.

" _You asked for it now."_ Shinoa thought with a smile as the sandy shore made it difficult for the monster to keep its footing. Leaping over the kicked up sand, Yuichiro landed at the nape of the creature's neck and reached for both of its devilish horns. Jerking its' head sharply to the right, Yu succeeded in steering the creature off course.

Unable to fight and balance itself at the same time, the creature shifted its battle strategy to remove Yuichiro from its back. With one arm focused on slapping away the vampire slaying teen, Shinoa saw the perfect moment to run in and do some damage.

Materializing her familiar old scythe, Shinoa charged forward with the intent on finishing this fight in one move. Unfortunately for her, she failed to anticipate that her opponent would launch an attack of its own in the form of a low sweep attack. Luckily, Shinoa had enough sense to leap over the scythe but, because she had to dodge she lost her kill window. So, instead of leaving empty-handed, Shinoa seized the opportunity that was available and brought her scythe down onto the beast's pectoral. The sharp blade dug in deep and with her downward momentum, she was able to leave a vicious wound running down a few inches above the creature's abdomen.

With a blood-curdling roar the creature howled out in agony. With its senses shifting into overdrive, the demon grabbed hold of Shinoa's embedded scythe and surprised the orchid haired girl by lifting her up into the air and slamming her down into the sand.

" _Ooof!"_ Shinoa was sure that she'd broken a couple of bones from that attack, but because of the adrenaline coursing through her veins she didn't feel a thing. That or this whole ordeal was all just her imagination. Whatever it was she wasn't going to wait around any longer for her foe's follow-up. Crawling her way out of the sand, Shinoa rolled in between Shi's legs just as Yuichiro dislodged himself from its back.

"Over here you damn demon!" He called out as a distraction. Shi would not be fooled twice. Instead of taking the bait, the Guardian hybrid reached down and plucked Shinoa from between its legs and kept her in a death-like grip. _"Damn. This is bad."_ Yu thought. Donning a wicked grin Shi applied more force to the hold making it harder for Shinoa to breathe.

" **THIS POWER…IS UNLIKE ANYTHING I HAVE EVER FELT BEFORE…"** Shi's twisted voice echoed throughout the beach. **"WITH IT, I'LL FINALLY BE UNSTOPPABLE. NO LONGER WILL I HAVE TO BE A PRISONER AND SLAVE TO THE HUMANS! THE ONLY THING STOPPING ME NOW IS YOU, YUICHIRO HYAKUYA."**

"Let her go!" Yuichiro demanded. He was a little surprised to hear the Guardian speak and even more so when it sounded like Shi was in control.

Shi erupted into a fit of demonic hysteria. **"WHO ARE YOU TO MAKE DEMANDS OF ME? FILTHY HUMAN, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU ARE…"**

"That doesn't matter to me! Just let her go!" Yu tried again.

" **STUPID BOY! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE TRYING TO SAVE!? THIS GIRL YOU CALL 'FAMILY', IS THE REASON YOU HAVE SUFFERED SO MUCH!"**

"Yuichiro! Don't listen to—"

" **SILENCE! THE BOY DESERVES TO KNOW THE TRUTH."**

At this point, Yu didn't know what to do. Yuichiro had grown up in a world of lies. For the most part, lying was just a way to cover up the pain, to make putting one foot in front of the other so much easier. In the world he lived in, lying was almost always actually a good thing. Now that he was faced with a potential truth, Yuichiro was terrified.

The truth had always hit him hard. His first lesson came when he learned just how powerless humanity was when faced with the vampire menace. His hopes to escape to the outside world were crushed when Ferid Bathory took away everything that he had. It was then that he vowed to eliminate every last bloodsucker to avenge the ones he lost. As headstrong as he was, Yuichiro wasn't stupid. He had been lying to himself this whole time. It was something he never wanted to acknowledge, because then he'd just go back to being the scared little boy he once was. The fear was always there. The truth was, he couldn't eliminate every vampire on his own. He couldn't even best Crowley.

The truth really did it hurt.

"The…truth?" he said.

" **YESSSS"** Shi hissed, **"ABOUT THE EXPERIMENTS… YOUR HERITAGE… AND WHAT THE HIRAGI'S DID TO YOU…"** The demon pressed on.

But the thing was… Yuichiro never really cared for the truth. As far as he was concerned, the 'truth' was only a matter of perception. Yeah, he knew that it would be highly unlikely that he would single-handedly wipe the vampire scourge off the face of the earth, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try. The only truth Yuichiro was ever going to accept was his own, because in the world he lived in, it was the only way you survive.

Shinoa watched and awaited Yuichiro's reaction. Would he be angry with her over the experiments that her family was involved in? Would he leave her to die because of the horrible things her family put her through? Was there any chance he'd forgive her? Then there was that curious part of her that wanted to know the truth. She was never really made aware of the things her family had done. As a matter of fact, she was just another experiment herself. She had been wronged too, but unlike Yuichiro, she shared the family name. How would he know that she had nothing to do with it? She wouldn't even blame him. Shinoa understood what it was like to be used. To be treated like a lab rat without any care in the world about how she felt or lived. It was horrible.

" **THE HIRAGI LINE…"** Shi began…

"I don't care about the Hiragi line!" Yuichiro interrupted.

" **HUH!?"**

"I can't go back and change the past. If I could, I wouldn't even be here right now. Knowing what they did to me—it wouldn't change anything! It's not going to bring back the people that I've lost or solve any of my problems. So what's the point? The Hiragi's did their thing. Shinoa's not one of them. So don't go trying to make it look like she is responsible for the things that they did to me. Besides, the Hiragi's will get what's coming to them. I'll make sure of that myself, and so will you if you don't put her down." Yuichiro threatened.

" **FOOLISH BOY—YOUR IGNORANCE TO WHAT YOU REALLY ARE WILL ONLY MAKE YOU A TOOL FOR OTHERS TO USE AS THEY SEE FIT. YOU ACT LIKE A HERO, BUT REALLY YOU'RE JUST ANOTHER PAWN IN ANOTHER DIRTY HUMAN SCHEME! AND YET, YOU WALK FORWARD BLINDLY AND OBEDIENTLY LIKE SOME LAP DOG."**

"Someone very close to me said the same thing once, and we got into a good fight over it. If when he said it to me and I didn't change my stance, what makes you think that you'll affect me any different? The whole world can use me all they want, I don't care. As long as the people I care about are safe then that is all that matters."

" **I NEVER UNDERSTOOD YOU HUMANS. THE WAY YOU ALLOW YOURSELVES TO BE WALKED ON AND TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF… IT SICKENS ME. YET, YOUR SPECIES WONDERS WHY IT WAS DRIVEN TO NEAR-EXTINCTION. NO MATTER, ALL I NEED TO DO IS KILL HER AND THIS FIGHT WILL BE—"**

"No you can't. You and I both know that if you kill her then both of you will die. Even if you manage to somehow take control of her body, you'd still need her alive in order to move it. All that talk of being free and you still don't realize that you are always going to be a prisoner. Now, me on the other hand, I'm perfectly killable. So what are you waiting for?"

Shinoa's jaw had literally dropped. Never in a million years did she ever expect for Yuichiro to knock some sense into—well anything! He was always so headstrong and gung-ho about battling things out and yet, here he was being reasonable. Well, reasonable in a way that was true to Yuichiro at least because he did incite a fight at the end of his rebuttal.

" **YOU—I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!"** Shi's demonic voice roared out over the sea. Tossing Shinoa off to the side, Shi leapt high into the air with the intent of crushing Yuichiro beneath its cumbersome weight.

"I was counting on it." Yuichiro muttered beneath his breath as he rolled out of the way in the nick of time. Yu didn't have much time to plan his next move either, as he was busy dodging the maniacal swipe's of the Origin scythe.

" **WHEN I CUT YOU DOWN BEFORE HER EYES SHE WILL FINALLY BREAK. THEN YOU WILL KNOW THAT IT WAS YOU WHO BETRAYED HER IN HER FINAL MOMENTS. YUICHIRO HYAKUYA—THE FAILED SAVIOR!"** Shi taunted hysterically. Judging by her tone, Yu understood that Shi's mind had been taken over by the twisted Guardian. Every move Shi was making was reminiscent of his battle with the Guardian in the Forgotten Cave making it very easy for him to predict her move set. With a backflip kick to the jaw, Yuichiro managed to finally put some distance between himself and Shi, but more importantly had finally positioned himself next to Shinoa.

The girl was at a loss for words, unable to comprehend how Yu was managing to make a complete fool out of her inner demon. Somehow, Yuichiro had gotten much better as a fighter and as a strategist, almost making her job unnecessary. _"Did they all get this strong while I was gone?"_ Seemingly able to sense her doubt, Shinoa felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

"What's our next move?" he asked with a smile that boosted her confidence and gave her that aching feeling she was starting to become very familiar with. Rising to her feet, Shinoa materialized her scythe once more and took an attacking stance. While she may have been away for a while, she wasn't about to let her 'underlings' surpass her—yet.

"Isn't it obvious Yu?" she asked. "We finish this." Falling behind Yuichiro, Shinoa put the blade of her scythe just in front of him. Knowing exactly what she wanted him to do, Yu grabbed hold of the cold steel and looked back for confirmation. "Please be gentle. This is my first time." She said in a manner so like herself, that Yu couldn't help but roll his eyes and smile.

Pivoting on his heels, Yuichiro whipped Shinoa around with whirlwind like force and sent her corkscrewing towards the Guardian. With the speed and absurdity of the attack, Shi was too slow to block the attack as Shinoa's heels dug into its stomach. Satisfied with the damage that she had done, Shinoa leapt off of the beast's belly and tossed her scythe into the air.

Taking his cue, Yuichiro ran forward and catapulted himself over Shinoa to continue their synchronized combo. With the scythe in his hands Yuichiro rolled in the air and brought the curved blade down on Shi's exposed head.

The Guardian was faster unfortunately, barely managing to get its weapon in blocking position before the death blow came. With the end of the battle foiled Yuichiro grunted before retreating back with Shinoa to plan their next move.

"I really thought that was going to work." Shinoa said in disappointment.

"It was close enough. We need to be faster next time." Yuichiro commented.

"Yeah, but Shi isn't going to fall for the same trick twice. We have to catch her off guard again somehow." Shinoa replied.

"Well, how do we do that?"

"We're just going to have to come up with a plan as we go. Here she comes! Get ready!" Shinoa called out. Taking her scythe back from Yuichiro, Shinoa was the first to engage the demon in combat. Yuichiro couldn't do much but just sit back and watch. If he chose to jump in he'd surely get shred to bits.

As proficient as she was with the scythe, Shinoa was at a disadvantage. Incredibly, she was keeping the Guardian's attacks at bay, but her defense would only last for so long. Given that her opponent's scythe was much longer than hers, Shinoa was fighting at a reach and height disadvantage. Just as her guard was about to break, Shinoa saw an opening to turn the tide of the battle. Stepping in toward the beast's left leg, Shinoa dragged her scythe through the sand and brought it up towards Shi's abdomen.

What Shinoa did not anticipate was for her attack to be blocked. Using the shaft of its own scythe, Shi was able to halt the blade from puncturing its ghoulish skin once again. Staggering backward from the sudden collision Shinoa was left open for a counterattack, something that Shi capitalized on with a flick of her wrist. The shaft shot up from the sand and caught Shinoa in the jaw, sending her flying up into the air. The pop-up attack could have easily been followed up, but Shi instead had to switch her focus to Yuichiro who came barreling forward much more quickly than the demon anticipated. Shi tried to catch Yu with a half-hazard swing of her scythe, but the teen dodged it with little effort and unleashed a devastating blow to her stomach.

" _WHAT THE HELL!? SINCE WHEN CAN A HUMAN…PUNCH SO HARD!?"_ Shi thought as the attack succeeded in pushing her back several feet. Still recovering from the winding jab, Shi was at the mercy of Yuichiro's fists. Yu delivered blow after blow, mercilessly letting the Guardian feel his rage as he pushed Shi back further down the beach. Despite his miraculous strength, Shi eventually broke free of her beat down by merely overpowering the vampire slayer with her own brute strength. Yu was taken by surprise when Shi's hand wrapped around him and slammed him into the ground with enough force to kick up a small sandstorm. **"AND NOW YOU DIE!"** Shi roared as it brought its accursed weapon down for the killing blow.

With his eyes closed, Yu heard the sound of clashing metal and opened them to find the green curve of Shinoa's scythe holding the cursed weapon from his skin. "It isn't like you to play the damsel…" Shinoa teased. "But, I guess you must be used to me coming in to save the day! Now Yu, let me show you how a pro does it." Right as Yuichiro rolled out of the way, Shinoa pulled back on her scythe allowing her opponent's to dig into the ground. With demonic like speed, Shinoa swung her scythe wide and dug it deep into the oblique of her former demon. A glowing purple hole opened up from the wound that let out a similarly colored gas. "Sorry Shi, but play time is over!" Shinoa leapt back to avoid the retaliation swing and countered from the left. Shi roared out in pain as more of the purple gas began to leave its body.

" **I'M GOING TO RIP—"** before Shi could finish her sentence, Shinoa followed through with another attack that disarmed the hybrid demon. Shi stumbled back on the sand and was now at the mercy of Shinoa's scythe.

"Let me set the record straight." Shinoa chimed triumphantly as she continued her barrage of her attacks. "While I do share the Hiragi name, I am not the monsters that my family is. Sure, I've done some questionable things in my life—who hasn't—but that's not the point. I am not THEM and I NEVER will be like THEM!" Shinoa capped off as she brought her scythe down into the behemoth's chest. Shi fell down to one knee and was starting to gasp for breath.

" _ **MY STRENGTH…ITS…FADING"**_ Shi thought as her arms fell weakly to her sides and her body slumped down. She watched as the small purple haired girl picked up the Weapon of Origin and walked casually over to where she was resting. _**"SO THIS IS HOW IT ENDS… DONE IN BY TWO… LOWLY HUMANS…"**_

Raising the scythe up above her head, Shi awaited the killing blow, but instead was greeted to the sound of Shinoa's voice again. "Because if I was—I would've killed you just now without so much as a second thought. My family bonded us together in some twisted experiment and when I was thrown out and felt like I had nothing—you were there for me. I want the old Shi back… the one that doesn't try to kill me or my friends. And you're going to come back to me—whether you like it or not!" Shinoa cried out as she slashed her new scythe horizontally across Shi's torso. With a howling cry, the remaining purple gas exploded outward, causing Shinoa and Yuichiro to be blown back into the beach.

As the dust settled and the purple mist faded away, Shinoa and Yu made their way back to the epicenter to find a familiar small object laying where the guardian once was.

"Well, what are you going to do with it?" Yu asked as Shinoa picked the object off the floor.

The small key-like object felt warm in her hands and felt almost as if it were humming. "Keep it. Shi was one of my best friends. My only friend for a long time actually. Then something happened and she… well you saw what." Shinoa replied.

"I see." Yuichiro commented. "Now that we took care of that—"

"We?" Shinoa raised an eyebrow and a mischievous smile.

"Yes, we. Anyways, can we get out of this place now? I think I've had enough of the beach." Yu said somewhat awkwardly.

"Already? I thought it was every teenage boy's dream to find themselves alone on a beach with a beautiful girl." Shinoa teased as she hugged herself and made kissing noises.

"There's the weird." Yuichiro said as he started walking forward, a small hint of red on his face.

"Whaaaat? You mean you don't want to be alone with a beautiful girl on the beach? *Gasp!* Don't tell me you've got a thing for Kimizuki!?" Shinoa called out sarcastically.

"What!? Hell no!" Yuichiro turned around immediately to deny.

"Are you lying to me?" Shinoa said whilst squinting her eyes and puckering her lips. She edged closer to Yuichiro knowing full well what she was doing. It had been a long time since she'd messed with anybody and now that she had a chance, she wasn't about to pass it up.

"Of course not!" Yu defended.

"Hmmm… I'm going to need you to prove it then." Shinoa said with her arms crossed. Yuichiro was about to ask her how he can prove himself when she spoke up again, but not before he noticed that something was off about her. Just before she started talking was when he saw it, like she was unsure of herself. It was only for a second, a second that made her look like she didn't know whether or not she should take the risk. He was beginning to wonder why he was noticing all these things about Shinoa lately, but then again these thoughts didn't linger very long because what she said next surely caught him by surprise. "Kiss me." She said.

"WHAT!?" Yuichiro yelled.

"I said, kiss me." She repeated, her cheeks beginning to turn a lighter shade of pink.

Yuichiro Hyakuya had fought foes who could probably kill him faster than he could bat an eye, and even then none of them could make his heart beat as fast as it was beating now. " _Is she crazy!? Kiss her-now! I've never kissed a girl in my life—not that she needs to know that—but this is—AHHH!"_ Even poor Yu's mind was falling apart. _"Oh my god—oh my god-oh my god—what do I do—what do I do—what do I do!"_

"Well—if you don't want to…" Shinoa said with a disappointed downwards glance.

"No!" Yu cried out a little too quickly, causing Shinoa to jump back. "Sorry, I—it's just—this—how do I—you know—" Yuichiro stammered. With each break, Yu's face only continued to turn different shades of red.

It didn't take rocket science to figure out what he was trying to get at, besides Shinoa decided he'd suffered long enough. Stepping up onto her tippy toes Shinoa placed her lips on Yuichiro's, effectively silencing the babbling idiot. It was her first kiss and was as magical (and awkward) as she'd always imagined it would be. Sure, some people would argue that this was all in her head (literally), but it to her it was real and that was the only thing that mattered.

Yuichiro was already going through a total meltdown. The kiss—definitely didn't help. Her lips were soft and tasted like—well he didn't know what they tasted like but it wasn't bad. For a complete second, Yuichiro didn't know what to do, so he just kind of took it. Then, it was like his body was acting on its own as his arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her close, like he'd lose her again if he let go. He deepened the kiss by pouring all of his pent up emotions into it. He felt Shinoa's warm hands on his cheeks as she returned the kiss whole-heartedly. Yuichiro felt like he was flying through the clouds. If he had known that this was what it was like to kiss a girl, then he would've kissed Shinoa a long time ago.

Unfortunately for the two teenagers, their kiss couldn't last forever as they were both in need of something known as oxygen. Still, that didn't stop them from letting go of one another. "That was…" Shinoa began.

"Yeah…" Yuichiro finished her sentence awkwardly. Looking up from his chest, Shinoa was greeted to the goofiest smile that she'd ever seen on Yu's face. It didn't help that she'd had the same expression and the two both burst into a fit of laughter as they fell down onto the sand.

"Well, you definitely don't like Kimizuki." Shinoa said as she laid her head down at the base of his neck.

"Told you so." He said with a triumphant grin.

"That doesn't mean you're off the hook, Yu." Shinoa replied with her signature mischievous grin. "I'm going to need more proof to make sure you don't like anybody else."

"Oh is that so?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, then I've got all the evidence you need—right here." And so they kissed. It felt good to forget the fact that the vampire scourge still roamed the earth and that they were all on the run for the 'mighty' JIDA army. The only thing that mattered now was that sweet and blissful kiss. Everything else could wait… but even if it couldn't—who in the hell was going to stop them!?

 _ **A/N: WOAH! It's been a really long time Seraphans…. NOW BEFORE YOU GATHER YOUR PITCHFORKS AND TORCHES LET ME EXPLAIN! So… in case any of you popped into my other story, the latest update described a very unfortunate scenario… You see, my kid sister needed the laptop for educational purposes and I found myself well unable to write most of the time because, well she had the laptop 99.99% of the time. So I worked towards getting myself a new laptop—but you all know how surprising life can be and setback after setback and all of a sudden I was wondering if I was ever going to write again! But then I got this thing—a break—(and a very generous paycheck) and WHAM! New laptop! So here I am again… with another update to a story you all probably thought was dead…. But NO! The story continues! REVIEW RESPONSE TIME! (Because you guys sure left a lot for me since the last update! XD)**_

 _ **A bestfriend: Fair point. Thank you for this. To be honest, the last chapter was when I hit that point in my writings where I just didn't know what to do and I guess I did fly off the handle for a bit there. Your review helped to ground me again and really made me go back and take a look at my story and how far I have come. In a weird way, it motivated me to get back to writing and try again (you saw how that turned out…its been months!) Still, I did join this site to grow as a writer and I really don't know what my style is yet… so I'm going to keep trying new things and trying to refine and develop a writing style that I can be proud of. Writing this has been a large learning process for me and I'm thankful for all the support that this story has gotten since its publication. So I guess I'm just trying to say is bear with me everybody, and if I do fly off the handle please let me know. I won't get offended I promise. It just means I need to find a better way to do it! Thank you for your review! (On a side note—I know my story shares some similarities with other stories—but is it really that similar with other stories!?)**_

 _ **Dlkg: Ah—you brought the ol' Spanish on me… well let me start with "Gracias—for your review!" Haha! Well, I DID understand most of what was written, my Spanish has gotten a little bit better over these last few months. I'm glad that you are enjoying this story and sorry that I kept you and everyone else waiting for so long. But here I am again with another installment! Hope you enjoy!**_

 _ **Ryujomaru15: It's been a while…. A long while… still thanks for the continued support! Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, because you are like my best reviewer! Haha! Hope to hear from you again!**_

 _ **Guest (SF): Lol. Glad you thought so. To be honest, I felt that the last chapter was probably one of the worst chapters I've put out and that was in part because I was starting to lose my motivation for a little bit there… But that moment has passed and I'm back again (and happy to be!) So I hope that this chapter is to your liking and I hope to hear from you again. Thank you for your review!**_

 _ **Guest: Thank you for the review! Like I said above, I personally felt the last chapter was well… eh. Still, thank you for the support and for showing me that even when I feel I'm not at my best, there will be those that still find enjoyment in my work. It only motivates me to keep getting better for you guys! Thanks again!**_

 _ **That was all of them I believe… and guess what—IT'S BEEN A YEAR! Yeah! I started this a year ago( well a year and a month ago anyway…) I never thought that I'd have my own story on this site, especially not one with over 85 favorites and 104 followers! That's right Seraphans… we hit the 100 mark! So thank you to all of you for continuing to find enjoyment in these little ramblings of mine. It means the world! So without further ado, if any of you have any suggestions, comments, questions, or concerns, please feel free to shoot me a PM or leave a review! Until next time Seraphans—Frosty out!**_


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